Public transport must have fixed fares for Eid
As holy Eid-ul-Fitr approaches, the tension of holidaymakers increases about going to their homes in the villages. The first problem they face is getting a ticket, especially the train tickets. Many fail to buy a ticket even after waiting in long queues for a long time. Some buy tickets from the black market, at much higher prices. Bus and launch owners raise ticket prices at their whim while their ticket sellers also raise the price further. This situation is not acceptable. The government issues warnings, fines a few companies, but this does not improve the situation.
Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association on Saturday called for effective steps to resolve this chaos over fares. They alleged people are being forced to buy bus, launch and air tickets at hiked prices. The media is replete with reports in this regard. There is serious mismanagement in selling train tickets. Some people are not getting tickets while around 23,000 remained unsold, news reports said on Monday.
The demand for tickets during the Eid days is massive as a huge number of people want to go home. But collecting extra fare rather than having a set fare is not acceptable either morally or legally. Selling tickets on the black market is a punishable crime.
The owners’ greed for extra profit has another dangerous implication. People of lower income bracket face problems due to this increased fare of bus and launches. They are then forced to travel by passenger vehicles that do not have fitness certificates or by goods vehicles. Many unfit vehicles hit the roads at this time. Inefficient drivers without licences, even helpers with a little training, are appointed to drive those vehicles. Besides, the number of accidents and casualties increase as those vehicles carry more than capacity. This is one of the prime causes of increase of number of road accidents during the festivals. This is why stopping extra fare is a must otherwise it would not be possible to stop passengers resorting to those vehicles.
The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection should be proactive in curbing extra fare. Had the directorate applied its power properly, the owners would not have been as unrestrained as they are today. The BRTA authorities and the district administrations also should conduct drives to curb this illegal practice. The owners’ associations should take steps to maintain legality and discipline in selling tickets in the set fare.
It is also a must to ensure discipline on roads. Highway police should remain vigilant to stop plying of vehicles without fitness certificates, carrying more passengers than capacity of the vehicle, carrying passengers in trucks and other goods carrying vehicles. There should be systems to clear the roads immediately if there is any accident, otherwise there could be long traffic jam. Steps to stop carrying more passengers in launches are also essential to curb accidents since this is the time for cyclones.