Solution turns into systematic problem

“We start but do not finish, we arrange much pomp and grandeur but do not act …” said Rabindranath Tagore in one of his essays over a hundred years ago. The great poet was talking about the “nature” of Bengalis who were then under the British colonial rule. But the “essential character” has not changed much though a section of that people has achieved an independent state. Like many initiatives, the introduction of ticketing system in public transports in the capital city and the following incidents is also a glaring example of that “essential nature” of these people.

Many if not all hoped that this introduction of ticketing system will bring some sort of order on roads in the city and will make the commuting more hassle-free than before. But the step taken as a solution to a problem turned into a structural problem which is hard to resolve.

With the introduction of ticketing system almost all the charts of bus fare pasted and hung inside the buses vanished overnight though the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the body that is in charge of the affairs of motor vehicles, directed to keep that chart hanging at easily visible spots inside every bus. It is not that the fare chart could provide much safety to the passengers from the transport workers’ attempt to realise excessive fare. But that at least worked as a point of reference in many cases of altercation between the passengers and transport workers.

It would have been better if a ticket had mentioned on it the distance a passenger travels from one stoppage to another stoppage. But no such thing is seen on any ticket. As a result another and a very serious kind of anomaly appeared. As per the latest bus fare chart by BRTA published on 1 September 2022, the fare from Shyamoli to Farmgate and Karwan Bazar is Tk 10 and Tk 11 respectively. But the fare is Tk 15 in the ticketing system! What is the explanation of this?

For a few days the ticketing system was followed more or less rigorously. But as the great poet said, we start but do not finish, the practice has gradually come to a stop, not in all buses of course. With this the regular loud arguments in public transport have returned and sometimes those continue with such an intensity and logic and counter-logic that it seems that would continue eternally.