Woes of Eid returnees

A large number of passengers, including women and children, are badly suffering at Paturia and Aricha ferry terminals as they have to wait for hours and pay much more than the usual fare for going to different places including capital Dhaka.

The passengers from south and south-western districts started returning to their workplaces as the Eid holidays ended yesterday.

They are coming to Aricha and Paturia by launches, ferries, speedboats and shallow engine-run boats for going to different places including Nabinagar, Savar and Dhaka by road from there.

The transport owners and workers are taking double or more than the usual fare from the passengers. Local buses of Dhaka-Aricha and Dhaka-Paturia routes are collecting up to Tk 200 from each passenger for travelling to Savar, Nabinagar and Gabtali from Aricha and Paturia and Tk 100 for travelling on the roof, although the usual fares are between Tk 60 to 70.

Passengers throng to get a 'prized seat' as a bus arrives there yesterday. Photo: Star

Drivers of pickups are realising Tk 150 to Tk 200 and those of microbus Tk 300 to Tk 400 from each passenger on the routes. 

"I came to Aricha around 11:30am but still waiting to get on a bus," Khairul Hassan, a Dhaka-bound passenger, said at 4:00pm yesterday. 

Abdur Razzak came to Aricha from Nagarbari at 11:00am but he could not get into a bus for going to Nabinagar as of 4:00pm.

Meanwhile, the people coming by launches have to stay at Paturia terminal for hours for their scheduled coaches.

"I took a coach that landed me at Daulatdia ferry terminal. Then I crossed the river by a launch and got on Paturia terminal. But I have to wait here for long to get a bus for going to Dhaka," said Dhaka-bound passenger Shariful Islam.

The transport owners and workers sold many more tickets than their accommodation capacity, alleged several passengers.

Around 350 buses belonging to Jatriseba, Nabinbaran, Padma Line and BRTC regularly ply Dhaka-Aricha and Dhaka-Paturia roads, said bus owners' sources.

At the end of the Eid holidays, the number of passengers suddenly increased on the roads and buses of other routes entered there and a section of people are collecting Tk 200 to Tk 500 from each of the buses, using the names of fake owners-workers' organisations.

"After getting complaints of taking extra fare, I called the transport owners and workers in the morning. I warned them that mobile teams will take legal action if they continue doing so," Kamal Mohammad Rashed, Shibalaya upazila nirbahi officer, said yesterday.