Transport syndicate set to extort Tk 8.32b during Eid: Jatri Kalyan Samity

A powerful transport syndicate has started extorting Tk 8.32billion from over 15 million Eid travellers as "tips," forcing them to pay exorbitant extra fares, according to a report by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity.

The report, presented by the organisation’s secretary-general Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity on Wednesday, highlights widespread fare irregularities across road, rail, water and air transport.

Of these, 1.5 crore people will leave Dhaka for their hometowns. Despite government efforts to regulate fares, 98 per cent of public transport operators are charging excessive amounts, the report states. Fare hikes are primarily attributed to inflation, extortion, employee Eid bonuses, and owners’ profit motives.

Besides, the absence of passenger representatives in monitoring teams has made oversight ineffective.

The Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity emphasised that the fare hikes are exacerbating the cost of living, encouraging corruption, and increasing road accidents.

To curb these issues, it urged authorities to introduce digital fare collection, ban cash transactions, use CCTV for fare monitoring, and improve transport governance.