Gaighat, May 30

Vehicles plying on the rural road section of Udayapur district have been overcharging the passengers under various pretexts.

The entrepreneurs of jeeps and taxis allegedly cite rough roads and demand exorbitant fare from passengers. However, the concerned authorities at the district have remained mum regarding the matter. Jeeps, which

have been plying along the Nepaltar-Udayapur road section since five years, charge Rs 70 to Rs 80 for a mere seven kilometres’ journey.

Locals said they had persistently drawn the attention of the concerned authority towards the matter, but in vain. Keshab Pandey, of Nepaltar, said transport entrepreneurs overcharged the passengers citing expensive fuel.

A former teacher, Khamba Magar, said, “The jeep entrepreneurs demand three times more than the fare set by the transport management office. Nonetheless, the concerned authorities have turned a blind eye to people’s plight,” he informed.

A businessman of Udayapur, Mani Rai, said the villagers could not openly protest against transport entrepreneurs’ behaviour as most of them were Udayapur residents. “We have complained many times, but the entrepreneurs do not pay heed,” he added.

Locals complained that the jeeps and tractors plying along the 22-kilometre Murkuchhi-Bhuttar road section were also charging arbitrary fares. “We are compelled to pay Rs 280 for the distance,” they said.

Meanwhile, Chief of Udayapur Traffic Police Office, SI Lok Bahadur Diyali, said not a single vehicle plying along the rural road sections has road permit. He said the entrepreneurs were fleecing passengers due to lack of traffic police in the village road sections.

He also informed that many road accidents were reported in the district due to overloading.

Fares fixed, transporters warned

BHOJPUR: Bhojpur District Traffic Police Office has fixed the fare for the 48-kilometre road stretch from the district headquarters to Ghodetarbazaar at Rs 700.

Bhojpur residents have been relieved after the office’s decision as local transport entrepreneurs had been charging arbitrary fare.

Earlier, the passengers were compelled to pay Rs 800 to 900 for the same distance. The office has also directed vehicle entrepreneurs not to keep passengers beyond the vehicles’ capacity.

DSP Raj Kumar Lamsal said action would be taken against drivers if they were found defying the directive.

He informed that a police team was deployed to monitor the vehicles at Ghodetar and Manebhanjyang.