The government is undertaking a series of initiatives aimed at making train ticket purchase easier, more transparent, and passenger-friendly, reports UNB.
According to Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Railways, Bangladesh Railway and the ministry are working together to revamp the system, introducing changes that will also include alterations to the country's railway routes and improvements to the online ticketing process.
Fouzul told UNB various steps were being taken to ensure transparency and accountability in the railway's e-ticketing system.
"We are working to simplify the ticket purchasing process and ensure passengers' satisfaction. We aim to make ticket purchase more accessible so that people can easily buy their tickets. We expect to see benefits from these changes soon," he said.
He emphasised that passenger satisfaction with the ticket purchasing process was crucial. He pointed out that many passengers faced disappointments when they could not secure tickets to their desired destinations online.
To address the issue, officials at Bangladesh Railway had been instructed to ensure that the remaining tickets for nearby stations and available times were automatically displayed in search options. Furthermore, if necessary, external experts would be consulted to refine the process.
In a bold move to ensure fairness, the adviser confirmed that manual reservation of tickets for government officials would be stopped.
"Many ticket requests come from the railway secretary or other officials, and some tickets were often pre-booked. This practice will no longer continue. No tickets will be reserved at the request of any secretary or official. The rights of the general public must be ensured first," Fouzul added.
He said efforts to meet the increasing demand for passenger and freight transport were also underway, with the acquisition of additional locomotives and carriages being pursued to support the introduction of extra train services.
Bangladesh Railway, in collaboration with the Ministry of Railways, was focused on quickly procuring the necessary resources, he further said.
Addressing the issue of route rationalisation, the railway adviser explained that trains currently travelled on some routes with low passenger demand, while other high-demand routes remained underserved.
"There are places where trains are operating without passengers, and in other places where there is a demand, there are no trains," he said.
He pointed out that routes frequently used by Bangladeshis working abroad, such as Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Chattogram, would be given special attention, and arrangements would be made accordingly.
In addition to enhancing train services, the government was tackling the issue of ticket scalping, said Fouzul, adding a committee, led by the ministry's additional secretary (Administration), had been formed to address the problem, alongside efforts to rationalise routes.
"We are involving young people to help prevent ticket scalping. Strict action will be taken against those involved in scalping, including railway staff. Additionally, we have plans in place to make it easier for the public to obtain tickets," said the adviser.
He was firm on the stance against corruption in ticket sales, saying if any scalping or lack of transparency was detected, those responsible would not be spared. "We are serious about eliminating scalping and any unfair practices in the system," he added.
About online ticketing, Fouzul revealed that Shohoz.com, the company responsible for ticket sales, had been directed to address various ongoing issues. Despite the widespread problem of online tickets being unavailable while tickets are found at inflated prices on the black market, he assured that steps were being taken to address the root cause.
"The government may be criticised for not acting, but resolving these issues will take time. Over the past two and a half months, we have been working to get to the bottom of these problems," he said.
Further improvements in the online system were in progress, with instructions issued to ensure that customers could access alternative options via the Shohoz app, he said, adding a high-level committee had been formed to oversee these changes and ensure their successful implementation.
