No evidence of overcharging found: Road Transport Minister

The Minister for Road Transport and Bridges, Railways, and Shipping, Sheikh Rabiul Alam, has confirmed that no evidence of overcharging fares has been found in public transport during the Eid travel period.

He made this statement on Wednesday (March 18) morning while visiting the Gabtoli Bus Terminal in the capital.

He said that passengers are traveling comfortably on all routes, and everyone is charging the approved fares. In some cases, a few transport operators are even charging 20–30 taka less than the fixed fare. Police control rooms, vigilance teams, and RAB control rooms are actively monitoring the situation. Fare charts are displayed, buses are leaving on time, and the approved fares are being followed.

The minister added that reports from the police, RAB, and vigilance teams indicate that there have been very few complaints and no major irregularities. Passengers are not facing harassment, and sufficient tickets are available on different routes, although some services have already sold out.

He further stated that passengers boarding buses from the terminal are reaching their destinations safely, smoothly, and comfortably without any inconvenience.

Rabiul Islam reiterated that he found no signs of fare hikes or overcharging. Monitoring teams have also reported the same, and passengers have not raised complaints. He credited the smooth situation to 15–20 days of preparation and coordinated efforts by transport owners, workers, and relevant authorities.

Regarding the issue of passengers getting off midway but being charged full fare, the minister explained that fares are determined based on the full route. For example, the fare for a Dhaka-to-Khulna bus is fixed for the entire journey, so even if a passenger gets off midway, the full fare applies.

He also noted that there is no shortage of fuel supply. Since the night of March 15, adequate fuel has been ensured for public transport. If anyone faces issues, they can contact the hotline for immediate assistance.

At the time, Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Member of Parliament from Pabna-5 (Sadar) and Chief Coordinator of the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, was also present.