On the last day of the Eid journey, there was not much pressure of homeward-bound passengers at the Mohakhali bus terminal. Passengers were able to board buses to their respective destinations without significant hassle.
A field visit to Mohakhali Bus Terminal on March 30 revealed that some passengers were being charged additional fares.
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Mou, who is traveling to Bogura aboard the Shah Fateh Ali bus to Naogaon, said, “The fare to Bogura is 550, but I have to pay 680 to go to Naogaon. This is apparently the new rule. My bus is at 1:30 PM. I don’t know how long I will have to wait. Since I didn’t buy the ticket earlier, I’m not sure what to expect.”
Obaidul, who has been waiting since the morning, said, “The fare to Naogaon is 680 now. I’m not sure how much it used to be. I’m just waiting for the bus.”
On the Dhaka-Mymensingh route, passengers were seen lining up to purchase running tickets. One passenger stated, “The fare is being charged correctly now. AC buses cost 400, non-AC buses 310. I’ve heard that fines are being imposed for extra fare collection. No issues so far.”
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To address passenger harassment and prevent extra fare collection, the Vigilance Team of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has been active. Mohammad Pakon, who is on duty there, said, “A passenger lodged a complaint of extra fare with the United Bus on the Dhaka-Mymensingh road in the morning. We immediately fined them 5,000 Taka. Our team is ready to take prompt action whenever any complaint is made.”
The manager of SI Paribahan, which operates on the Dhaka-Sirajganj route, said, “The fixed fare to Sirajganj is 370 Taka. There is no room for extra fare. We are charging the exact fare as per the rules.”
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