Transport harassment for people
Most of city service buses are now operating on contract basis and
carrying holidaymakers
STAFF REPORTER
People returning to Dhaka after the Eid vacation are forced to cough up extra bucks for hiring CNG vehicles or rickshaws to reach their residences from different bus and launch terminals due to the prevailing transport crisis. Most of the city service buses are now operating on a contract basis and carrying reserved passengers, mainly holidaymakers, from various destinations to Dhaka. Besides, there is a dearth of CNG auto-rickshaws and paddle rickshaws as many of the drivers are yet to return to Dhaka from their country homes.
Unscrupulous drivers of CNG auto-rickshaws and paddle rickshaws are making the most of the situation by charging extra from the holidaymakers.
Abdul Motalib, a bank official, who travelled from Rajshahi, yesterday was waiting at Kalyanpur bus terminal with three family members to go to the Rupnagar area of the city. Weve been waiting here for at least an hour.
Were yet to get any CNG vehicle to go to our residence. Usually, they take Tk. 150-200, but now they are charging Tk. 500 to go to Rupnagar from Kalyanpur, he said.
Abu Bakar, a resident of Signboard, who travelled from Chandpur to Sadarghat by a passenger launch, told this correspondent that he did not get any CNG auto-rickshaw at the terminal. The fare of a CNG vehicle to travel from Sadarghat to Signboard area is Tk. 250-300. But now they are charging Tk. 600-700, he said.
Rickshaw pullers are also charging exorbitant fares to take advantage of the passengers plight.
Passenger launches are being operated on 43 routes from Sadarghat terminal in the southern region, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) sources said.
At least 75 launches have reached the Sadarghat terminal till yesterday evening. More passenger launches will arrive at the terminal soon, Alamgir Kabir, joint director (traffic) of BIWTA, told this correspondent.
Regarding extra fare, Kabir said passengers at times faced transport crisis when several launches were anchored at the terminal at a time. Steps will be taken against the drivers who are charging additional fares from passengers, he said in reply to a query.
Many passengers were seen trudging with their baggage on heads due to shortage of transports from different terminals.
