Rent-a-car operators cash in on scarcity of transports

Wheels of rent-a-car business have started running in a good pace as operators are cashing in on scarcity of transports ahead of the Eid-ul Fitr festival.
Rents of cars and microbuses have been increased by 35-40 per cent more than what these were in normal times on excuse of traffic congestion and road dilapidation, as alleged by home-goers.
Some rent-a-car companies informed the FE that booking increased by ten times more for July 15 to July 18 than that of normal days as the official holidays are very limited this Eid-ul Fitr.
The Eid will be celebrated on July 18 or July 19 based on sighting of the Shawal moon and the last office day is July 16 (Thursday).
Azizul Hoque, a grocer, went to Sheikh Shaheb Bazar at Lalbagh area in the city Monday to arrange a car for visiting his village in Lalmonirhat on July 17 night.
Talking to the FE, he said he needed five bus tickets of July 17 for his family but failed to collect the same.
 Mr Hoque luckily managed to book a car from Moumita Rent-a-Car Ltd in the area but he had to pay higher charges.
He said normal rent of a car for travelling to Lalmonirhat is Tk 10,000-Tk 10,500 but he had to pay Tk 14,000 this time.
Minhajul Islam (Nirab), manager of the company told the FE that the car would return empty which is forcing them to increase the rent.
He said demand for cars and microbuses has increased by more than ten times compared to normal days.
Md Shakhwat Hossain, an agro-processing company official, went to the Azimpur graveyard area on Tuesday where above 15 rent-a-car companies are located.
Talking to the FE, he said, to ensure a relaxed travel, his friend circles have decided to hire a microbus to go to their village home at Chandina in Comilla on July 16 night.
Mr Hossain informed that microbus rents have been increased by 35-40 per cent more than normal times while it is 10-15 per cent higher than that of last Eid.  
  However, most of the rent-a-car owners this correspondent interviewed admitted that they have increased the rents.
The operators attributed the rent hike to various factors including absence of any possibility of getting passengers on return trip, traffic congestion caused by dilapidated roads and highways and much higher demand.   
Manager of Shatota Rent-a-Car in Azimpur Md Abdul Wadud said rent of a microbus for Rangpur is Tk 14,500-Tk 15,000 now against Tk 10,500-Tk 1,100 in normal times while a trip to Sirajganj town now costs Tk 7,500 against the usual Tk 5,000-Tk 5,500.
When asked, executive committee member of the City Cab and Microbus Owners Association (CMOA) Md Mubarak Hossain said they are following the rent chart of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).
He said the rents could have been much lower if extortion on the highways could be stopped.
Vice-president of Dhaka Cars and Microbus Owners Association Md Shamsul Islam said a car or microbus has to give Tk 2000-Tk 3000 toll to many organisations on the highways which eat up major profit share of the companies during Eid vacation.   
Data from the two associations revealed that over 2,200 cars and microbuses are in the rent-a-car business in the capital which increased to 3,000-3,500 ahead of this Eid.
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