Proposal to increase bus fare by maximum Tk 0.20 per km

The transport owners’ side has given a proposal of re-fixing the bus fare after increasing the price of fuel oil. In the new proposal it has been said to increase the fare by 20 poisha per kilometre for long-distance buses and metropolitan buses and by 18 poisha for city service buses.

This proposal was given at the meeting of the fare adjustment committee held at the office of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) in Banani of the capital on Monday (September 21). The meeting that started at 3pm ended around 5pm.

According to the proposal of the owners’ side, the recommendation has been made to increase the fare per kilometre of long-distance buses from Tk 2.23 to Tk 2.43. In the same way the proposal has been given to increase the fare per kilometre of buses in Dhaka and Chittagong metropolises from Tk 2.53 to Tk 2.73.

Besides, the proposal has been made to increase the fare of minibuses in the area under the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) from Tk 2.32 to Tk 2.52 per kilometre. However the owners’ side has recommended keeping the minimum fare of buses at Tk 10 and the minimum fare of minibuses at Tk 8 unchanged.

After the end of the meeting general secretary of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association A S M Ahmed Khokon said the proposal of adjusting the bus fare has been given by taking the matter of the price increase of fuel oil into consideration. The next decision regarding how much the fare will be increased will be taken on the basis of the recommendation of the fare adjustment committee of BRTA.

Earlier on Sunday night the government announced increasing the prices of diesel, kerosene, octane and petrol by Tk 20 per litre each. According to the new prices, the price of diesel has been fixed at Tk 135, kerosene at Tk 155, octane at Tk 165 and petrol at Tk 160. The new prices have been effective from midnight on Sunday.

Ahmed Khokon has informed that a notification regarding the new bus fare may be issued soon if BRTA accepts the proposal of the owners’ side. However the formal decision of the concerned authorities will be needed before the proposed fare becomes finally effective.