The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Sufferings of home bound passengers to observe Eid festival with the dearest and nearest ones exceeded all limits as transport fares increased and tickets sold out.

According to the water and road transport offices and passenger sources in Barisal, tickets of the most routes for five days before and five days after Eid festival have already been sold out.

After visiting booking offices of different bus and launch offices it was found that only tickets of some irregular and special trips available from transport offices and tickets of regular trips available in black market. Within these ten days, passengers have to pay 40% to 60% increased fare in advance purchase of tickets from transport offices and 80% to 100% increased fare for collecting tickets from black markets to travel by road and water transports. Sources said the one way launch fares for per passenger on Barisal-Dhaka-Barisal route has been increased from Tk. 800 to Tk.1400 for double seated cabin, from Tk. 400 to Tk.700 for single seated cabin, from Tk.1800 to Tk.3000 for VIP cabin, from Tk.250 to Tk.400 for per sofa, from Tk.100 to Tk.180 for per deck seat.

On other hand the one-way bus fare on the same route has been increased from Tk.280 to Tk.400 and executable from September 26, 2008 to October 05, 2008. The launch transport offices claimed advance cabin tickets are almost sold out two weeks before the Eid vacation and receipts are given only a PAID rubber stamp, with out mentioning any rate of fare. But giving almost double fare it could be available in black markets from the agents of the Launch and Bus owners and staffs. In the meantime Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation announced ten days Eid special services from Dhaka end on September 25 and will continue until October 5, 2008 with 34 regular and 21 special trips by five vessels of the corporation. However advance ticketing would not be possible except Dhaka and Khulna stations and conditions of BIWTC vessel selected for these special trips yet not in fittest condition for smooth plying. Barisal BIWTC sources said out of five BIWTC vessels PS Mahsud and MV Sela still at Narayanganj dockyard and conditions of PS Lepcha and Turn are vulnerable.

Only PS Ostrich is fit for regular long trips and so special trips of BIWTC steamer services may be special for foiling the joy of Eid passenger by breaking down at any point of the journey. On other hand the ferry vessel of railway named Sonargaon leased on special Eid trips of BIWTC in previous years, would not be available for Eid special service in this year.

Khalid Newaz, manager of BIWTC Barisal station, said that all vessels plying on this route must touch Chandppur and Barisal stations on all up and down trips. However Barisal station has only a name enlisting counter, not a advance ticket selling counter and names enlisted here would be send to Dhaka and Khulna for reservation and issuing ticket. Launch and bus owner's association's sources said the fare on the same route fixed by the government was Tk.284 for per bus passenger and Tk.133 for per launch deck passenger. But through out the year they carrying the passengers less than that rate.

Launch owners demanded that still the increased fare is less than the government fixed fare chart of distances as TK. 133 for deck and four times more of that for single seat of cabin passengers. However, they did not answer that why that fare is low at other times and increased in Eid seasons. Fare of launches, trawlers and ferries plying on different local, inter district routes either than Barisal-Dhaka-Barisal also would be increased at least 40% to 60% fare on excuse of coming Eid festival creating much pressure on the passenger depended on water transports in river isolated region of Barisal division.