Eid journey smooth, fare hike sours joy

Dhaka saw a comparatively smooth start to the Eid-ul-Azha homebound exodus yesterday, with hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers leaving the capital without major hardship or severe traffic congestion on the first day of the seven-day government holiday.

Although overall movement remained orderly, passengers at Gulistan, Fulbaria, and Sayedabad terminals faced delays as buses were caught in gridlock following heavy midday rain, pushing schedules back by more than one-and-a-half hours in some cases.

In contrast, passenger pressure at the Gabtoli and Mohakhali bus terminals was lower than expected.

The Sadarghat launch terminal saw an unusually thin crowd this year, allowing passengers to travel home without the usual Eid chaos and ticketing struggles. Of the 28 trains scheduled to depart from Kamalapur for different destinations, only two were delayed -- one by 50 minutes and the other by an hour.

However, speaking to The Daily Star, many travellers at the Gabtoli, Gulistan, Fulbaria, and Sayedabad terminals alleged that transport operators were charging fares above government-fixed rates.

Passengers at city terminals said bus services were disrupted after noon due to rain-induced congestion, particularly on routes connecting Sayedabad and Jatrabari.

Some travellers alleged that operators of Hanif, Saudia Classic, Ekushey Paribahan, Nilachal, and Shyamoli were charging Tk 100 to Tk 150 more than the fixed fares.

At Gulistan, Barishal-bound Zahidur Rahman and his family waited nearly one-and-a-half hours in the rain for a Sakura Paribahan bus scheduled to leave at 4:15pm, which had still not arrived by 5:30pm. He said he and his family were soaked while waiting by the roadside. “Transport staffers informed us that the bus was stuck on the Sayedabad flyover.... The fare has also been raised from Tk 550 to Tk 650 ahead of Eid.”

A Sakura Paribahan staff member, speaking anonymously, admitted that fares usually increase during Eid travel, adding that company-fixed rates were beyond workers’ control.

At Fulbaria, passenger Mamun Sarkar said operators were ignoring fixed fares and imposing additional “service charges”, with Dhaka-Khulna fares rising from Tk 550 by an additional Tk 100 to Tk 150.

At Sayedabad, Ayesha Begum said she purchased a Tk 600 ticket from Ekushey Paribahan but was later asked to pay an additional Tk 100 before boarding, prompting her to get off the bus.

Counter manager Md Hanif said tickets were sold at Tk 600 until noon but later increased to Tk 700 due to high demand and traffic congestion.

To avoid fare-related hassles, many passengers left Dhaka using alternative transport like mini-trucks.

Among them, Mohsin and 11 others hired a covered van from Sayedabad to travel to Laksam in Cumilla.

They said they were forced to travel this way after failing to get bus tickets and facing unusually high fares. The covered van cost them Tk 4,000.

Visiting the Gabtoli bus terminal, our correspondents saw lower passenger pressure compared to previous Eid seasons. Staffers on routes including Chuadanga, Rajshahi, and Jashore-Khulna were seen calling passengers as several buses departed with vacant seats.

Aminul Islam, supervisor of Shyamoli NR Paribahan, said the Eid rush began on Thursday night, peaking after office hours yesterday ahead of the holiday.

Druti Paribahan staffer Mizanur Rahman said several buses left Nabinagar with five to 10 empty seats, citing weather conditions and ferry delays on the Padma route.

Mehedi Hasan, travelling to Chuadanga, said he paid Tk 830 for a trip that cost Tk 650 three months earlier.

Bus staffer Mizanur defended the increase, saying the government-fixed fare was Tk 830 after fuel price adjustments and that buses were often returning empty.

On northern routes, AC bus fares also rose sharply.

Passenger Mursalin said tickets to Gaibandha, which previously cost Tk 800, were now selling for Tk 1,200, with premium services charging up to Tk 1,700 depending on seat category.

Tejgaon Industrial Area Zone Assistant Commissioner Saidur Rahman said passenger pressure at Mohakhali remained moderate and traffic was normal.

Magistrates had been deployed to prevent overcharging, with authority to impose instant fines. He added that fares were largely being collected at fixed rates.

However, around 10:30pm last night, The Daily Star saw passenger pressure increase at Gabtoli. Meanwhile, fares also appeared to rise as the night progressed.

A staffer of Rangpur-bound Shadhin Paribahan told a correspondent while leaving Dhaka that the lack of passengers had forced them to increase ticket prices.

At the time, the fare was Tk 1,200 per passenger.

SADARGHAT SEES RARE CALM

Meanwhile, the Sadarghat launch terminal recorded an unusually light crowd, with vessels on southern routes departing mostly on schedule and with vacant cabin and deck spaces -- a rare sight during Eid travel.

Passenger Sajib Hossain said he had never seen Sadarghat so empty during Eid, while Nazma Akter noted easier ticketing and improved travel conditions compared to previous years.

Launch operators, however, expressed concern over falling passenger numbers, citing the Padma Bridge, adverse weather, and safety concerns over waterways.

Haji Md Mokhlesur Rahman, supervisor of launch Parabat-18, said many seats remained empty and his vessel alone incurred losses of around Tk 1 lakh.

HIGHWAY MOVEMENT LARGELY SMOOTH

Traffic on the Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka-Sylhet highways remained mostly smooth despite increased Eid travel pressure.

However, slow movement was reported at Madanpur and the Meghna toll plaza on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, while ongoing expansion work slowed traffic on parts of the Dhaka-Sylhet route.

Kanchpur Highway Police OC Md Shamim Sheikh said more than 100 personnel had been deployed alongside BGB, RAB, and Ansar members to maintain traffic flow.

He added that temporary pothole repairs had been carried out and the extended holiday had helped distribute travel pressure across multiple days, preventing long tailbacks, our Narayanganj correspondent reports.

A correspondent in Gazipur reported no gridlock on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, though traffic movement remained slow, indicating a steady but manageable Eid travel flow across the region.