Bus fare still high on Jatrabari-Mirpur routes

• Transport leaders, BRTA start monitoring bus fare
• Busses using other routes to avoid vigilance in Jatrabari

Despite transport owners’ vow to stop illegal “seating service” from today, Dhaka commuters have been charged with extra fares for their bus trip to several destinations from Dhaka’s Jatrabari to Mirpur routes.

READ more: Uniform fare in city buses?

Meanwhile, a vigilance team under the banner of Dhaka Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity in association with BRTA executive magistrate Sujit Howladar and policemen started monitoring transports plying the route around 11:15am.

But a very few busses are seen in the area as most of the vehicles are using other routes to avoid the vigilance team, , our staff correspondent reports quoting the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) magistrate around 1:00pm.

Meanwhile, three drivers were awarded separate jail terms for not being able to show their driving licences, Magistrate Sujit said.

However, the transport leaders of the area were seen near Changpai restaurant in Jatrabari passing a lax time instead of enforcing the regulations before the magistrate appeared the scene around 11:15am, our correspondent reports from the spot.

Earlier in the morning, the leaders took position on the opposite side of the road making it quite impossible for them to monitor the busses starting for Shahbagh and Mirpur from the other end at Jatrabari, our staff correspondent present at the spot reports.

The vigilance team does not want to stop any bus to monitor the allegations of high charge in the name of seating services as it will bring sufferings to office-going passengers, Abul Kalam, president of Sayedabad Bus Owners' Association, told The Daily Star around 10:30am.

A vigilance team under the banner of Dhaka Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity is seen this morning in Jatrabari. Photo: Star/Mahbubur Rahman Khan

Yesterday, Khondaker Enayet Ullah, general secretary of Dhaka Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity, said vigilance teams would be employed today at five points -- Asad gate, Agargaon, west side of Airport, in front of Engineers Institute and Jatrabari -- to make the decision effective.

Five executive magistrates from BRTA and adequate police members will be assisting the teams, he said.

The transport owners on April 4 announced that such self-devised services -- “seating”, “gate-lock” “nonstop” and “special” -- would stop operating in the capital after April 15 (yesterday).

At a meeting yesterday with officials of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), they agreed to follow the fare chart set by the government.

‘Seating or local, all same’

Busses of three privately-run transport services were seen taking high fares showing no regard to the resolution of the transport leaders and government initiative.

The driver of Shikor Paribahan bus told the correspondent that they are charging Tk 20 from each passenger for a trip to Shahbagh from Jatrabari.

The charge is Tk 10-12 more than the usual bus fares for the route.

Whereas, passengers were charged Tk 10 for the same route by the busses of another service called Khaja Baba, quoting a driver, Rubel, of the service, the correspondent said.

Rubel said that seating of local, it’s all same now and the fare is unchanged.

The two bus services ply on the route of Jatrabari to Mirpur 10, 11 and 12.

Another private service bus called Trans Silva was seen not letting any passengers to board the bus for Gulistan as it heads for Mirpur 1.

Mamun, the driver of the bus could not show the government fixed chart of bus fare to the correspondent.