A conductor pushed a passenger out of a running bus in Lalkhan Bazar area of Chattogram city on Friday night. The ill-fated passenger was thrown on to the street as he refused to pay excess fare. Such grim scenario is prevailing everywhere throughout the country because of the latest increase in transport fare.
Following the recent increase in fuel price, the government has re-fixed the fares of diesel-run vehicles including buses, coaches, trucks and covered vans, warning that it would take stern action if the transport owners and workers realise extra fares from passengers. The re-fixed transport fares will not be applicable for the gas-, octane- and patrol-run vehicles. Therefore, CNG-run buses are not supposed to charge the new increased fare.
But it has been noticed that the owners and workers of gas-, octane- and patrol-run buses, coaches and other vehicles alongside diesel-run ones have become more desperate to extract double fare from the passengers in capital Dhaka, other metropolitan cities and district towns across the country. They are harassing, humiliating and even beating up the passengers for realising additional fare breaking their pledges and violating the government order. As a result, the commuters’ suffering and risks are mounting under the nose of the authorities concerned.
Take stern action against the transport owners and
workers who will be found guilty of harassing
passengers and charging extra fares from them
Now the question is how the government will deal with these organised thugs who are holding passengers hostage everyday in many ways? However, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is conducting mobile courts in the city against the vehicles which are charging extra fares from passengers. Instructions have also been given at field level to conduct mobile courts across the country to check realising additional transport fares from passengers.
All concerned including divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, highway police and district police must come forward and play an effective role immediately in order to free the commuters from the humiliations, harassments and misbehavior. Besides, they also must take stern action against the transport owners and workers who will be found guilty of harassing passengers and charging extra fares from them. We hope, BRTA, the law enforcing agencies and other concerned will try their best to ensure security and comfort of all passengers travelling different places in the country.
It is very unfortunate that we common people are now being held hostage, humiliated, harassed and even pushed on to the streets by the transport workers.
The government should never allow such offence when Bangladesh is moving forward at an irresistible pace in all fields under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Therefore, the authorities concerned must monitor the overall situation strictly and be careful so that none gets harassed by the transport workers. Also, the government will have to devise a comprehensive plan in order to thwart any attempt by the transport workers to loot public money.
