E-tickets: Boon for commuters, bane for bus workers!

In the past four months, half the buses plying the streets of Dhaka city have introduced e-tickets.

Meanwhile, the owners of 15 companies have opted to add the feature to 711 buses to help stop overcharging passengers. 

The move has left commuters happy but bus workers seem worried.

Visiting a number of bus stops at Mirpur and Azimpur on Tuesday, this reporter witnessed the reactions.   

Khandaker Enayetullah, general secretary at Dhaka Road Transport Owners' Association, at a press conference in Dhaka on Monday, disclosed their decision.

The 15 bus companies to be operating under the e-ticketing system have a total of 711 buses in the city’s Mohammadpur, Azimpur and Gabtoli, he said.

With this, a total of 2,354 buses operated by 45 companies in the capital are issuing the e-ticketing system now.

On Tuesday, it was found that the measure was not put into effect on the buses travelling from and to Azimpur via a number of stops. Bus workers made the claim.  

Preferring anonymity, a ticket checker of a bus company said the ticketing system was launched several months ago.  

“But no bus from Azimpur has done so yet,” he added, venting his anger on his bus owners. 

Eden College student Nadira Hossain, a regular commuter on the Mirpur route, told thereport.live that the decision to introduce was a timely one.

“We face less issues now,” she concluded.  

Bus helper Md Mohsin said fuel prices have become pricier and so did daily essentials.   

“However, bus fare did not go up accordingly. After e-tickets were launched, our extra income started to shrink. Even we have to face hassle while collecting fare from passengers,” Mohsin maintained. 

The bus worker claimed that nobody care about them and their problems. 

Muktar Ali, another bus helper, echoed the same.

“We are to hand over money to the owners, in line with the fare rate. But many passengers pay less than the rate,” he alleged. 

The authorities introduced the e-ticketing system on a pilot basis on September 22 last year through eight bus companies in Mirpur.

In the first phase, 30 bus companies operating on the Mirpur route were brought under the purview of the e-ticketing system. 

As many as 5,650 buses owned by 97 companies provide transportation services to the public in Dhaka and nearby cities, according to Enayet Ullah.