Rent-a-car owners did good business taking the advantage of the scarcity of tickets in public transports ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Azha.
The sacrificial festival will be celebrated on September 25 (Friday).
Service-holders got one or two days before they went home that fueled demand for tickets for all modes of public transport on an urgent basis, which in turn has come as a boon for the rent-a-cars.
Rent-a-car owners said booking increased by five-times compared with ordinary days.
"Official vacation for the major festival is very short, which has caused good demand for tickets of all modes for two or three days," Md Arman Mian, manager of Reaz Rent-a-Car at Azimpur Graveyard area, said.
"The shortage of tickets has come as a blessing for us," he said.
He said all of its vehicles, including six cars and four micro buses, were booked for September 23 and September 24.
Many a rent-a-car owner admitted that they have increased fare following shortage of vehicles and hike in CNG prices.
Md Hasan Adil, owner of Priya Rent-a-Car at Ring Road area, told the FE that fare of CNG-run cars and microbuses was increased by 45-50 per cent, while diesel-run vehicles witnessed 20-25 per cent hike.
He said despite hike in prices, all of their motorised vehicles were booked much earlier.
"I've even hired two microbuses from one of my friends in Naraynganj to meet already-booked orders," he said. Mr Adil noted that charge for a trip to Bogra town by a CNG-run microbus is now Tk 9,500 to Tk 10,000 against Tk 6,000-6,500, while the fare for Rangpur is now Tk 16,000-16,500 against Tk 12,000-12,500 in case of diesel- run vehicles.
Md Shariful Islam Ishan, an official at an advertising agency, came to Azimpur in the city on Tuesday to rent a microbus for his destination to Domar, Nilphamari on September 23.
Talking to the FE, he said he needed six bus tickets for September 23 night for all of his family members, but he failed to get.
Ishan hired a microbus at Tk17, 000 from Shotota Rent-A-Car from Azimpur area.
He said fare increased by almost 50 per cent, compared with that of past years.
Rent-a-car-owners said overall booking increased by ten times during this Eid compared to normal days.
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