Govt warns transport owners of taking excess fare from passengers

DHAKA, Bangladesh, July 17 (BSS)- Secretary of the Ministry of
Communication Dr Mahbubur Rahman today warned the owners and
workers of all modes of transports that the government would take
severe legal actions if any excess fare is taken from passengers.

"The actions may include cancellation of the route permit of
the transport," he cautioned at a meeting with the transport
owners associations in the ministry.

Chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Sunil
Kanti Bose, Executive Director of Dhaka Urban Transport
Coordination Board Abu Bakar M Shajahan and Bangladesh Road
Transport Corporation (BRTC) Chairman Safiz Uddin Ahmed were
present.

From the transport side, Secretary General of Bangladesh Road
Transport Association M Ashraf Khan, President of Association of
Bus Companies Khandakar Rafiqul Hossain Kajal, Chairman of
Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners Association GM Siraj and other
concerned leaders attended the meeting.

Representatives from home, energy and mineral resources,
establishment ministries and police department and Dhaka City
Corporation were also present in the meeting.

The meeting discussed on the reports published in different
newspapers and other media about taking excess fare from the
passengers. Senior officials of the concerned ministries informed
the meeting that the press reports were found true in their
firsthand inspection.

Representatives of the transport owners claimed in the
meeting that they are taking fare as per the government's
instruction.

However, they admitted that excess fare might be charged in
some routes.

They assured the government of extending their full
cooperation to ensure the matter of taking precise fare from the
passengers. They also agreed to take part in the drives of BRTA
officials against excess fare.

The communications secretary sought support from owners,
workers as well as passengers to implement the government
decision on transport fare.

He asked the owners of bus and minibuses to maintain the
rules of keeping preserve seats for women, children and disable
persons in their transports.