Stop harassment of passengers

Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (BJKS) demanded on Friday to stop harassment of homebound passengers during Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of Muslims.
It said commuters, including home goers and passengers of different public transports plying inside and outside the city were forced to pay exorbitant fares by transport operators ahead of the Eid.
It called upon the government to take measures for immediately curbing fare anarchy being committed by transport operators including buses and other mode of transports.
Secretary General of BJKS or Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury in a statement issued on Friday made the demands.
He alleged that bus and launch operators were charging extra money from the homebound passengers during the Eid-ul-Ajha due to the government's restrictions on the movement of motorcycle on the highways.
He said that as per their observations in the last few days ahead of the Eid, operators of buses plying on different routes inside the capital have increased fares five to six times higher than usual time.
He also noted that fares of Leguna in the city have also been increased three to four times higher compared to usual time.
Mr Chowdhury further said that operators of different long haul or inter-district bus services were also charging from the passengers fares much higher than they did in normal time.
The Eid holidaymakers heading to Rajshahi, Rangpur, Noagaon, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur and others north Bengal districts from the capital were compelled pay an extra amount ranging from Tk 300 to even Tk 1,500 to the bus operators for traveling by the long haul vehicles to their respective destinations to celebrate the Eid.

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