Bus fares rise by 17 paisa per kilometre

The impact of the fuel price hike has fallen on public transport fares. The government has decided to increase the fares of long-distance and city buses by 17 paisa per kilometre. The decision was taken at a meeting held at the Ministry of Road Transport on Tuesday, September 22. Concerned officials said a notification on the new fares may be issued today.

Earlier on Monday, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) had proposed increasing fares by 20 paisa per kilometre for long-distance buses and 18 paisa for city transport, considering the impact of higher fuel prices. However, to reduce the extra burden on passengers, a decision was taken to raise fares by a lower amount than proposed, that is, 17 paisa per kilometre.

Shamsur Rahman Shimul Bishwas, Member of Parliament for Pabna-5 constituency and chief coordinator of the central committee of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, said that although the government calculation suggested a 20 paisa increase, a decision was taken to charge 3 paisa less considering public interest. As a result, fares will increase by 17 paisa per kilometre. Owners will sign an agreement with BRTA on the matter, and the increased fare will be effective at the same rate at metropolitan and district levels.

He said that even a one-paisa fare increase creates extra pressure on passengers. If any transport operator collects extra fares before the decision takes effect, the concerned owners' association will take action. He also said the matter will be monitored administratively as well.

Earlier last April, when the price of diesel was increased by Tk 15 per litre, bus fares were increased by 11 paisa per kilometre. Before the latest fare hike, bus fares in Dhaka and Chattogram metropolises were fixed at Tk 2.53 per kilometre and minibuses at Tk 2.42.

Long-distance buses with 52 seats currently have a fare of Tk 2.23 per kilometre. However, in many non-AC buses, the number of seats has been reduced to 40 or below to give passengers comparatively more comfort. Fares higher than the fixed rate are charged on these buses. Bridge and road tolls are also added to this. After the new increase of 17 paisa per kilometre, fares for long-distance and city transport will be re-fixed.