A number of bus drivers and staff allege that some transport workers and ruling BNP men do still extract tolls from the buses.

Also, the special monitoring committee on curbing toll collection observed that toll collectors are going about their business as usual with help from policemen. However, the committee, formed recently by the government, is yet to make any recommendations to stop the illegal activities.

The government now has decided to set up a welfare fund for transport workers to discourage them from collecting tolls. The initiative has curbed toll collection at the three big bus terminals of the capital to a great extent, but failed to make any difference at other terminals across the country.

"We used to give the toll collectors Tk 100 to 130 while leaving the terminals. Now we give only Tk 30 in lease toll after the government decision," said Md Awolad Mia, a bus driver at Mohakhali bus terminal.

Md Mintu, a driver of the Dreamland Bus Service on Dhaka-Sherpur route, however, said the government initiative has checked illegal toll collection but has created another problem -- to get the 'serials' for buses at the terminals.

Mintu said he now does not enter the city terminal; he just drops the passengers on the main road and drives towards Sherpur to avoid the serial problem.

A Dhaka-Ramganj route bus driver said at Sayedabad terminal yesterday: "Toll collection has not stopped but definitely reduced. We used to give them Tk 300 every day, but now they are taking Tk 160 for each bus to maintain the serial."

But another driver at the terminal said: "We have to pay tolls at every district bus terminals and on every highway. The government should take a strict decision to curb this."

Apart from the bus terminals, toll collection at different tempo stands in the city is going on as usual.

Some tempo drivers of Mirpur told The Daily Star the toll collectors draw Tk 90 for each vehicle at Amin Bazar tempo stand, Mirpur Section-1 and Section-10 roundabouts and at Mirpur Section-14.

The ruling BNP backed toll collectors are extracting tolls in broad daylight, the drivers alleged.

"Police also get shares from them and so the law enforcers do not challenge them," said a driver yesterday at Mirpur Section-10.

Different bus and truck owners' associations and workers' associations regularly collect tolls at different points across the country. They charge Tk 160 from each inter-district bus in Barisal and Tk 40 for every trip over Faridpur. Any bus plying between Dhaka and Barisal has to pay a total of Tk 450. If the trip is from Dhaka to Jhalakathi, the toll reaches up to Tk 710. The amount of total toll for a Dhaka-Khulna trip is Tk 225.

But some bus drivers said toll collection is not so high, rather controlled, in northern districts at the moment.

Khwaja Golam Murshed Pintu, assistant general secretary of the Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners Association, said the government has to act decisively to curb illegal toll collections in the country.

"Curbing toll collection at just three terminals would not stop toll collection across the country. Steps are needed to stop toll collections at all the terminals and stands. Otherwise, everything will get back to square one after a few days," he warned.

Pintu suggested that the government fix a rate for tolls and designate selective owners' and workers' associations to collect them. It could also form a committee comprising representatives from the relevant sectors to oversee whether things were being followed.