The government will take legal action if any transport operator charges extra fares or carries passengers beyond capacity during Eid journeys, said Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Wednesday.
“We are making every effort to ensure a safe and hassle-free Eid journey. Bus fares remain the same as last year, and the rates are being charged as per the chart at the terminals,” he said while speaking to reporters after visiting the Mohakhali Bus Terminal in the capital.
He added that transport owners and workers have been instructed to remain vigilant so that no one demands extra fares. “If there are any complaints of overcharging, passengers should inform the owners, workers, or law enforcement agencies. They will take immediate action,” he assured.
To prevent highway robberies, a new measure has been introduced, photos of all passengers will be taken before departure. “Every bus has three staff members, including the driver. If any untoward incident occurs, they have been instructed to immediately alert law enforcement and the transport owners,” the adviser added.
Additional security measures have been taken on highways, and all relevant agencies, including the police, army, navy, coast guard, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) are on alert to ensure passenger safety.
Earlier in the day, the adviser visited Kamalapur Railway Station and spoke to passengers there.
Briefing reporters at the station, he said that so far 31 trains had departed from Kamalapur. “Except for 4 to 5 trains with minor delays, all others left on time,” he noted.
He expressed hope that the remaining 35 scheduled trains would also depart on time. “This year, there have been no reports of ticket scalping,” the adviser said.
