Immediate action will be taken against complaints of excess fares, Advisor Fouzul says

Immediate action is being taken whenever complaints are received about harassment faced by people travelling home to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha, Road Transport and Bridges Advisor Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan has said.

He visited the Sayedabad Bus Terminal and several bus counters in Dhaka between 11am and 11:45am on Thursday, reports bdnews24.com.

Highlighting that Eid travel is going well despite some limitations, Fouzul said: “Necessary steps have been taken to ensure a smooth journey for everyone. Whenever irregularities are spotted, action is being taken.

“We’ve received a few reports of fare discrepancies — in one case, an additional Tk 100 was charged and it was refunded. The transport service has been fined.”

During the visit, upon receiving a complaint, he ordered a mobile court drive at a counter of Lal Sobuj Paribahan that operates on the Dhaka–Noakhali route.

In view of the evidence, a counter of the bus service at Sayedabad terminal has been fined Tk 5,000.

A passenger heading to Noakhali, Asadur Rahman, told bdnews24.com: “For two hours, they’ve been saying the bus is coming, but it still hasn’t arrived. They charged Tk 1,000 instead of the regular fare of Tk 540.”

Around 12pm, after the advisor and the mobile court left, passengers were told at the counter that the bus would be late and they could return their tickets if they wished.

The passengers protested, saying: “Why would we return the tickets now?”

Another passenger, Abul Kalam, told bdnews24.com that he finally got a ticket after waiting for three hours, adding: “I can’t return it now. Even if the bus is late, I have no other option.”

Around 12:15pm, a transport worker at the counter announced that the next bus had departed from Arambagh.

At the end of the terminal inspection, Fouzul told the journalists present: “We haven’t received any major complaints. People are travelling home, though there are some limitations.”

He added, “Everyone has to be a little humane. Instead of making blanket accusations about higher fares, if we get specific information, we will take action as we are doing.”

Referring to the inflated fares charged by Lal Sobuj Paribahan, the advisor said: “Fuel prices have been reduced again. So there’s no justification for demanding higher fares.”