Sitting, or cheating, service
By Abu Md Masani
Experience of travelling by public transport in the capital is terrible for most. The people who use buses know the real pain of going to their destinations every single day of their lives. It is just a horrible pain, especially for office-goers, women and students. It is more chaotic and harassing than anything else in the world. I think everyone has some horrible experience of this.
But sitting or direct service buses have added to the pain of commuters since their inception.
This sitting service, however, stops and picks up passengers from every stoppage most of the time. But it does not follow the fare chart on kilometre basis.
Although the government has fixed Tk1.70 per km as bus fare in Dhaka and Chittagong metropolitan areas, transporters routinely overcharge passengers in the name of sitting service.
Dhaka is one of the oldest cities in the country and the bus service in the capital gets worsened day by day as there seems no one to look after it.
Most of the capitals bus operators are overcharging passengers, even charging double, in the name of sitting service, violating rates fixed by the authorities.
City residents claim the so-called sitting service is just a name that adds no extra benefit compared to normal services.
Over the last few years, buses flaunting sitting service signs have become the most popular means of transport for commuters in the capital.
It is supposed to be a direct bus service, aimed at reducing travel time with fewer stops and no standing passengers on board. But alas! It does the opposite. The service does not serve passengers as it is supposed to.
Yasmeen, a college student, was waiting for a bus for going to New Market area for her class. But she had to wait for a direct or sitting service bus for an hour. She waited near the bus stop, although there is no designated stoppage in the area. Finally, a sitting service bus arrived, but there was no empty seat. She got on board, anyway. Like her, many passengers remained standing. For her, it was a tough journey.
Such experience is not unknown to commuters who use sitting service buses. Often, they have to travel standing inside, although there is restriction on carrying standing passengers on sitting services.
Recently, this writer was waiting at Mirpur 11 for a bus that would drop him at the National Press Club. Finally, he managed to board a bus.
He is familiar with the capitals transport system. He knows that the fare from Mirpur to Press Club is Tk25 for sitting service, but a new passenger offered less money as the conductor approached. However, the conductor insisted that the passenger pay Tk25, showing him a ticket of that sum.
I am a concerned citizen, he said. I cant let you do injustice by charging more, the man replied.
Sir, this is a sitting service bus and you have to pay the amount printed on the ticket, said the conductor.
Thus they engaged in an altercation with harsh words. Other passengers reprimanded the conductor for his rude attitude, but that did not help reduce the bus fare. This is a common scene everyday for those who travel regularly on separate routes in the capital.
The passenger got down at Shewrapara, the next stoppage, as he was asked. But he had to pay Tk15 as fare. Although the fare should have been only Tk5 as it is not more than five kilometres from Mirpur 11 to Shewrapara. His protests went in vain. Another passenger replaced him. Now, the new passenger had to pay Tk25 from there to Motijheel. So, a seat had been sold twice, for a total fare of Tk40 from Mirpur to Motijheel. The fare normally charged from Mirpur to Motijheel is Tk25. Is that not cheating?
According to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) regulations, a common fare applies to all buses as per the Motor Vehicle Act, which mentions two types of buses _ the large 52-seaters and the 29-seater minibuses. The Act does not mention any sitting service.
Photo: Azizur Rahman Sumon
