Hartal
Owners' vow to run buses turns false
Staff Correspondent
Only a few long distance buses left the three terminals in the capital during hartal hours yesterday, charging much higher than normal fare, although the transport leaders announced recently that all buses would ply with police protection and at half the normal fare despite the hartal. Bus staff at the terminals-- Saidabad, Gabtoli and Mohakhali-- defended taking extra fare saying they are running the buses amid great risk. Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners Association and Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Samity at a joint press conference on Monday declared that they would run all their buses during the hartal and offer 50 percent reduction of fare to attract passengers. Asked about this, Saiful Alam, additional general secretary of the Sarak Paribahan Samity, said inter-district buses plied according to the rush of passengers on different routes yesterday morning despite the hartal. On fare reduction, he said," The offer was made by a particular company and we did not agree to this." He also said they will take action for charging higher fare. At Saidabad terminal, ticket sellers charged Tk 200 each for a Sylhet bound bus instead of Tk 170 - 80 and Tk 100 for a Noakhali bound bus, up from Tk 70-80. Fare hike was similar at Mohakhali and Gabtoli terminals. About 800 buses leave from Mohakhali, 1,200 from Saidabad and 1,400 from Gabtoli terminals everyday.
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