Route permit to be cancelled if extra fare charged: Minister

The government has fixed bus fares anew. Under the new decision, bus fares have been increased by 17 paisa per kilometre. However, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam has said the route permit of the concerned bus will be cancelled if extra money is charged beyond the fixed fare.

He conveyed this information while speaking to journalists on Tuesday, September 22, at noon. A short while earlier, the new bus fares had been fixed. The minister said a gazette in this regard will be published on Tuesday itself. The new fares will take effect as soon as the gazette is published.

Explaining the reason for the fare increase, Sheikh Rabiul Alam said that according to the fixed procedure, bus fares were supposed to increase by 20 paisa per kilometre. However, after discussions with bus owners, a decision was taken to increase it by 17 paisa. Bus owners did not agree to a lower fare increase than that. In this regard, they also raised the issue of operating costs, including bus maintenance costs.

The minister said any decision to increase bus fares creates extra pressure on ordinary people. However, considering the international situation and the current state of the fuel oil market, an attempt has been made to fix a reasonable fare by reconciling the interests of both passengers and transport owners.

The Road Transport and Bridges Minister also warned that if any transport owner or worker charges more than the government-fixed rate after the new fares take effect, action will be taken against them. He said if the allegation of charging extra fares is proven, the route permit of the concerned bus may be cancelled.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Rabiul Alam said no decision has been taken yet on increasing train fares. However, a meeting on rail and waterway fares will be held the day after tomorrow. Launch owners have demanded a fare increase. The minister said their demands and various related matters will be reviewed at that meeting.