Some 28 per cent passengers travel standing on public buses in the city, although they pay higher fare in the name of seating service, a survey has revealed.
According to the study, 96 per cent public buses run as seating service, even though many of them carry passengers beyond their capacity.
Such illegal practices in public transport are putting the city people in serious trouble, especially during this holy month of Ramadan, it said.
Bangladesh Jatri Kollyan Samity (Bangladesh Passengers' Welfare Association) released the findings of the survey to the media through a statement on Saturday.
The Samity said the city commuters are suffering a lot due to such illegal practices in the public transport sector especially during rush hours from 7.00 am to 11.00 am and from 2.00 pm to 11.00 pm.
Almost 96 per cent of public buses go to their destinations, keeping their doors shut. The helpers and conductors prevent the passengers from getting on the buses, claiming that those are seating service.
As a result, many passengers can't get into the vehicles after waiting for a long time.
Even the bus staff claim much higher fares than that of the amount fixed by the government.
Such irregularities are putting low-income group people's transport in serious trouble, the Samity said.
In addition to this, 94 per cent CNG-run auto-rickshaws run on contracts instead of meter-based fare.
It said 98 per cent auto-rickshaw drivers demand tips in addition to usual fare. During this Ramadan, the drivers are demanding Tk 30-35 for tips, which was Tk 10 before this holy month.
Moreover, the auto-rickshaw drivers often don't want to go to passengers' desired destinations.
The Samity conducted the survey at several points of the city for six days in the last week to make an assessment of passengers' sufferings in Ramadan.
The survey was conducted among 310 public buses, 557 passengers, 214 auto-rickshaws, 185 passengers of three-wheelers and 56 taxicab users.
Some 82 per cent of total passengers surveyed expressed their dissatisfaction over various irregularities in public transport sector even in this holy month of Ramadan.
Some 93 per cent of the passengers don't know to whom they can lodge a complaint after they suffer due to anomalies. Among those, 88 per cent passengers don't lodge complaint as they believe that there is no solution to their complaints.
Despite extensive coverage given by the media houses on such issues, government or non-government agencies or transport owners' association made no effort to address them during the period when the survey was conducted, the statement added.
