The Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samiti today (30 March) claimed that commuters are suffering due to the excessive price charged by the highway restaurants during travel by road, rail and sea routes of the country.
“Bus passengers have to have Sehri and Iftar at the mid-way stop restaurants designated by the bus company during long-distance journeys by road,” the Jatri Kalyan Samity said in a statement.
“While it usually costs Tk80-90 to buy Iftar from any normal restaurant, in any highway restaurant in Cumilla, Lohagara, Bogura, Sirajganj, the same Iftar costs Tk200-250.”
The passengers’ welfare organisation also said, “Allegedly, the bus companies get huge annual commissions from the restaurants where the bus stops. In addition, bus drivers, supervisors, helpers and other staff of the company eat free of charge in these restaurants every day.”
Due to these reasons, the restaurants are charging exorbitant prices for each meal served to the passengers, it said.
“Meanwhile, the private lessees appointed by the Railway are violating the rules and charging high prices for Sehri and Iftar from the passengers. There have also been allegations of exorbitant prices for Sehri and Iftar served in the canteens of the luxury launches,” it added.
In such a situation, the Jatri Kalyan Samity sought the intervention of Restaurant Owners Association, Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, district administrations, and upazila administrations to control the price of Sehri and Iftar for common passengers.