Phidim, November 1 Taking advantage of the ongoing fuel crisis, passenger vehicles have been charging three times the normal fare from the passengers in the eastern part of the country. Teknath Adhikary, a passenger, complained that he had to pay Rs 2,400 for two tickets to travel from Phidim headquarters to Jhapa’s Birtamode though the usual fare is Rs 405 per person. “When I approached the bus counter, they said there was no bus available. But then, a jeep conductor pulled me into his jeep and demanded Rs 1,200 each for me and my wife,” Adhikary said. As many as sixteen passengers who boarded the jeep paid Rs 1,200 each to reach Jhapa from Panchthar. Passenger vehicles have been avoiding Bus Park and ticket counters so as to be able to over overcharge passengers. The local administration, however, has remained mum, the locals complained. Dil Prasad Nembang, counter in-charge of Bishal Yatayat, Phidim, said they had hiked the fares by Rs 100 due to the fuel crisis. Passengers complained that vehicles operated by Kanchanjungha Taxi Entrepreneurs’ Union, Himali Transport, Mechi Hilly and others were also charging three times the normal fare. Police said 20 buses and 30 jeeps have been plying from Phidm to Taplejung, Ilam and Jhapa on a daily basis. Panchthar CDO Purusottam Ghimire, however, said no complaint had been lodged at DAO regarding passenger vehicles overcharging passengers.