The cost of journey home from Dhaka to districts across Bangladesh on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr increased by up to 66 per cent due to arbitrary increase of bus fares, holidaymakers have alleged.聽
The holidaymakers, buying tickets for their journeys both online and directly from bus counters, complained that ticket prices soared between Tk 50 and Tk 500 for different destinations from Dhaka.
They also allege that the online ticket sale platforms have suddenly started arbitrarily charging extra as they have no government control over them.
Online ticket selling platform officials admitted charging 鈥榓 bit鈥� higher than before, putting the fair increase down to the hike in their operational cost while bus owners said that they were abiding by the government fixed fare chart.
Sohagh Paribahan managing director Faruk Talukder Sohet said that the rest of the year they gave discounts on ticket fares but now they were going by the fare chart fixed by the government.
This year, Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival for Muslims, is likely to be held on April 1 with Eid journeys begining on Mar 25, coinciding with the Independence Day holiday on March 26.
Md Zahid Uddin, a passenger from Dhaka to Barishal, said that previously he bought tickets for Tk 600 each, which Sakura Paribahan Private Ltd was charging Tk 1,000 for the coming Eid holiday.
Another passenger, Auritraya Hasan, who bought bus tickets through online platform Shohoz said that Manik Express previously charged Tk 1,200 for each Dhaka-Bogura ticket.
But for this Eid journey he paid Tk 1,840 to buy a ticket of Manik Express from聽 online platform Shohoz with a breakdown鈥擳k 1,700 ticket price, Tk 130 convenience fee and Tk 10 insurance fee.
He said that he wondered who would pay the insurance claim in case any accidents happened during the journey.
Shohoz.com director Shakil Jawad Rahim said that they offered insurance to the passengers as an optional fee, which they could ditch if they wanted.
He also admitted that previously they charged Tk 30 for their service but now were charging Tk 100 due to the increase in their operational cost.
However, the online platform was found charging varying amounts up to Tk 130 for their service to the bus passengers.
When his attention was drawn to the issue, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority chairman Md Yeasin said that no platform could charge extra without permission from the authority.
鈥業 will look into it,鈥� he said.
Shakil Jawad Rahim said that the online platform Shohoz sold nearly one lakh tickets as of 4:30pm on March 19, starting sale on March 14 against a set target of selling two lakh tickets during this Eid.
Shohoz had agreement with 120 bus companies, he said.聽
鈥楢s of Wednesday six lakh tickets have been sold out for the Eid holiday,鈥� he said.
Shakil said that they assumed that this Eid some 30 lakh tickets would be sold during this Eid holiday, including the return journey.
Many passengers said that though they were overcharged but bus tickets were still available for most routes.
Hanif Paribahan general manager Md Mosharraf Hossain claimed that they were charging fares as set by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority.
鈥楾hroughout the year, we offer discounts on tickets,鈥� he said.
Shohagh owner Faruk Talukder Sohel said that compared with other Eid, people got a long holiday this time so the overall pressure for tickets was comparatively low.
Bus companies said they had a ticket crisis for March 27 and air-conditioned buses.
Bus ticket sellers said that demand for tickets to northern districts, including Rangpur, Dinajpur and Gaibandha, remained high.
On Friday, bus companies sold tickets for journeys between March 25 and March 30. The demand for tickets for journeys on March 26 and 30 was comparatively lower, said the staff of different bus companies.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, which will operate 775 buses under special services from Dhaka for Eid, will begin selling advance tickets on March 20.
