Thin crowds at Gabtoli terminal as five bus operators fined for charging extra fare

The usual buzz of Eid-ul-Fitr holidaymakers is missing in Dhaka's Gabtoli Bus Terminal and its surrounding areas, including Technical and Kalyanpur bus stops, even as government, semi-government and autonomous offices started their vacations on Friday, reports bdnews24.com.
Transport workers were struggling to attract passengers as the counters were mostly calm until noon.
"Passengers are not travelling. We tried our best but failed to attract passengers. There isn't any pressure at the counters this year," said Md Sarwar, counter master of the Barishal- bound Surjomukhi Paribahan bus service.
"Vehicles are arriving at the station on time as roads are free. Sometimes, they run late but we are successfully maintaining the schedule."
"People have received a six-day Eid-ul-Fitr holiday this year due to May Day and general public holidays before the festival. Many people sent their family members home before the holidays started. We are missing the usual travel rush due to these reasons," said Md Shawkat, counterperson of Sarbick Paribahan Ltd on the Dhaka-Madaripur route.
Despite selling advance tickets, the number of regular passengers have dropped this year, according to him.
"We haven't faced any schedule disruption. Ferry terminals are also free and buses are arriving on time," Sakura Paribahan counter master Md Mainul said.
But he expects the number of passengers to rise.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, or DNCRP, has fined five bus operators at Gabtoli for charging passengers more than the actual fare.