The Railways Ministry has taken a decision to scrap the agreement with online ticket selling partner shohoz.com because of repeated black marketing of train ticket.
Although the agreement was signed for five years, the ministry has decided to scrap the deal after the completion of only two years, due to Shohoz involvement in widespread irregularities.
“Being irked at the activities of the Shohoz.com, the Railway has decided to oversee itself the ticket sale system to stop black marketing,” said a senior official, preferring anonymity.
The official said that they would not renew the contact with shohoz.com after 2027.
Aiming at providing a hassle-free service to passengers, the two organisations signed the deal on February 15 in 2022 and the execution of the agreements began on March 26 that year.
The railway signed deal with shohoz, scrapping the deal with Computer Network System (CNS) Limited, which ran the ticket selling for 15 years.
Sources in the ministry said that they would not continue the agreement with online ticket selling company after the stipulated time.
By this time, it will develop its own IT Department, appointing 49 men under the Bangladesh Railway.
The image of the railway is being dented due to the widespread irregularities. Even, law enforcement agencies arrested several officials of the shohoz for ticket touting.
Railway officials said a different cell of IT section has already been approved, creating 49 posts to bolster the ticketing process.
Over the railways fresh move of setting up an IT section, officials said they are going to establish the IT section so that they can avoid any IT support from the third party, because there is a risk of data leak if we take support from the third party,” said the official.
Citing an example of the Indian railway, the official said that they (India) manage their system independently by leveraging software and hardware services from its own organization named CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems) and another one.
Railway Ministry secretary Dr Humayun Kabir said, “Our achievements cannot fade away just for ticket selling. Enhancing our own capacity, we are looking forward to minimising the dependency on third-party services and mitigate the risk of system manipulation.”
“We have been working with the Indian Railway Authorities to learn the ticket selling system. They (India) have already given a presentation in this regard,” he added.
Recently, some officials of Shohoz-Synesis-Vincen JV have been caught red handed while black marketing railway ticket.
According to railway statistics, Shohoz gets Tk 0.25 as commission for selling each ticket. Apart from this, they charge Tk 20 additionally from each passenger against each ticket.
Railway officials say that if the railway can manage the ticket selling system, passengers may also get relief from the additional charge.
Shohoz is conducting railway ticket selling activities in 104 stations across the country and it is using everything from desk to electricity of the railway for its purpose.
When asked, a public relations official of shohoz told the Bangladesh Post that they are yet to know about the recent plan of the ministry.