Transport syndicate set to extort Tk 8.32 billion from Eid travellers: Jatri Kalyan Samity

A powerful transport syndicate has started extorting Tk 8.32 billion (Tk 832.30 crore) 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 today, highlights widespread fare irregularities across road, rail, water and air transport.

Eid Travel Rush and Fare Anarchy

Between 20 March and 31 March, approximately 227.4 million passenger trips will take place in Dhaka, driven by Eid shopping and travel to home districts. Of these, 15 million 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.

Breakdown of Extra Fare Collection

Road Transport

Long-distance buses and minibuses: Tk 900 million extra from 3.0 million passengers (Tk 300 per passenger).
City buses: Tk 120 million from 4.0  million trips (Tk 30 per passenger).
CNG auto-rickshaws: Tk 600 million from 3.0 million passengers (Tk 200 per trip).
Battery-powered and pedal rickshaws: Tk 1.6 billion from 80 million trips (Tk 20 per passenger).
Leguna, Duranta, Diganta (human hauliers): Tk 160 million from 8.0 milliontrips (Tk 20 per passenger).
Ride-sharing motorcycles: Tk 2.5 billion from 25 million trips (Tk 100 per trip).
Private cars, jeeps, microbuses: Tk 210 million from 20,000 trips (Tk 3,500 per trip).
Water Transport

Launches and boats: Tk 800 million extra from 4.0 million passengers (Tk 200 per passenger).
Ferries and river crossings: Tk 1.0 billion from 100 million trips (Tk 10 per passenger).

Rail Transport

Train roof passengers: Tk 8.0 million from 80,000 passengers (Tk 100 bribe per passenger).
Passengers without tickets: Tk 75 million from 250 thousand passengers (Tk 300 per bribe).
Air Transport

Domestic flights: Tk 350 million from 100 thousand passengers (Tk 3,500 per passenger).

Call for Reforms

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.

Press Conference Attendees

Present at the press conference were newly elected Chairman Dr Mohammad Zakaria, former Election Commission Secretary Syed Ahmad, former Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority Executive Director Mahmudul Hasan Russell, and Mohammad Alauddin Masud.