Summary:
- Dhaka bus operators persistently overcharge passengers using the banned webil system, ignoring 2022’s e-ticketing mandate.
- Key routes like Abdullahpur-Basila and Magbazar-Sangsad Bhaban see fares inflated by 30-50%, with drivers refusing e-ticket requests.
- Commuters lose an estimated ৳1.82 crore daily to illegal fares, per Dhaka’s Passenger Welfare Association.
- Authorities cite enforcement challenges, while transport owners remain divided on retaining webil for “fair earnings.”
Bus operators across Dhaka continue charging passengers inflated fares using the outlawed webil system, three years after authorities mandated electronic ticketing to ensure transparency. Recent inspections reveal widespread non-compliance with 2022 regulations, leaving commuters paying up to 50% extra on popular routes.
Passengers report consistent overcharging on key routes, including Abdullahpur-Basila, Gabtali-Abdullahpur, and Magbazar-Sangsad Bhaban. Projapoti Transport staff demanded ৳15 instead of the official ৳10 fare from Kalashi to Khilkhet, while Lovely Transport charged ৳20 for a 4-kilometer Magbazar-Sangsad Bhaban trip. “They told me to pay or get off—no e-ticket machine available,” said Shahadat Hossain, a regular commuter on the Khilkhet-Mirpur route.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) banned the webil method—a manual fare collection system prone to abuse—in August 2022, replacing it with GPS-based e-ticketing. However, drivers and helpers resumed arbitrary charges months later, citing orders from bus owners. “Owners set these rates using webil guidelines,” claimed a driver during a fare dispute.
Daily Overcharging Hits ৳1.82 Crore
Dhaka’s Passenger Welfare Association estimates commuters lose ৳1.82 crore daily to illegal fares. Secretary General Mozammel Haque urged stricter enforcement: “Mobile courts must patrol webil checkpoints, and cash transactions should end.” BRTA Director (Operations) Mir Ahmed Tariqul Omar acknowledged ongoing mobile court drives but admitted challenges in curbing the practice.
Transport owners remain divided. Dhaka Road Transport Owners’ Association General Secretary Md. Saiful Alam blamed “16 years of unregulated operations” for the chaos, while Bikash Transport MD SM Saurav defended webil as “necessary for fair earnings.” Critics argue staff avoid e-ticketing devices due to perceived hassles, with former association leader Advocate Mahbubur Rahman stating: “Workers blame owners to justify not using machines.”*
Despite the February 6 launch of new counters and e-ticketing systems, most buses lack fare charts or functional POS devices. Commuters demand immediate action to enforce transparency, as BRTA’s 2022 reforms remain unimplemented across Dhaka’s 6,000+ public buses.
