Transport regulators have moved to cancel the registrations and route permits of any public transport for not following hygiene rules and charging extra fare during the pandemic.
The Road Transport and Highways Division wrote to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority on Tuesday stating that ‘charging extra fare by public transports is a clear defiance of the government order and road transport law.’
The authorities asked the BRTA chairman to run mobile courts against the errant vehicles and transporters, bdnews24.com reported.
Amid the coronavirus epidemic, the government has allowed public transports to operate, provided they follow the hygiene rules and carry passengers at half of their capacity.
The government also increased fares by 60 per cent for the public transports to minimise the financial loss the public transport owners have incurred. Complaints arose that public transport owners are charging more than the fares fixed by the government.
Those charging extra fare even after their commitment to the government are “the enemies of the public” and the government will take stringent measures against them, said Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader.
