Meanwhile, on the Dhaka-Barishal route, Sakura Paribahan usually charges Tk 700 for a standard AC bus. During Eid it is charging Tk 1,100. There has been no increase in fare in Sohag Paribahan running on the same route. It charges 1,200 taka throughout the year for its high-quality AC buses.
People associated with the transport sector said that AC buses consume more fuel and require more investment to buy them. Therefore, higher fares are not unusual. However, charging almost double the fare in AC buses than normal buses is not acceptable.
Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association general secretary Saiful Alam told Prothom Alo that they are working to stop the collection of extra fares at the terminals.
However, most bus tickets are now sold online, so it is not always possible to know everything, he pointed out.
According to Saiful Alam, the government and the transport owners association are starting a help desk to stop the collection of extra fares.