Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Dr Zahed Ur Rahman on Tuesday said transport fares will be rationally fixed in line with the recent increase in fuel prices.
He made the remarks at a press briefing on the progress of various government activities at the Press Information Department conference room at Secretariat.
State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yaser Khan Chowdhury was present.
“As fuel prices have increased discussions are ongoing to adjust transport fares accordingly. We hope the fares will be set at a reasonable level,” he said.
To ease complexities, fares of air-conditioned buses may be fixed in two or three tiers which is expected to be implemented ahead of the upcoming Eid, he added.
He said freight charges especially for trucks would have a greater impact on the overall cost of living than bus fares.
“The government’s responsibility is not only to protect consumers. It must be remembered that a government also represents businesspeople. Those who drive buses and trucks are also citizens of this country and this government is theirs as well. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to impose measures on them that would make their businesses unviable,” he said.
“The government does not favour any particular group; it is a government for all. It will try to reach a point where the least harm is caused to everyone. As I mentioned before, in this crisis, all of us will have to bear some loss. This is happening all over the world,” he added.
Citing an example, he said even a small increase in the price of essentials like eggs could significantly affect low-income families, forcing difficult choices.
To support such groups, the government plans to expand assistance programmes, he added.
Besides, more people will be brought under assistance programmes through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), he said.
The adviser also announced a plan to launch eight night markets in Dhaka to relocate street vendors and keep footpath free for pedestrians.
“Footpaths are meant for walking, not for business. However, considering the current situation, efforts are being made to provide alternative arrangements for hawkers,” he said.
Dr Zahed said the pilot expansion of the ‘Fuel Pass BD’ app has been extended beyond Dhaka to several districts for motorcycle registration.
“Although registration has been completed, fuel collection is not yet available everywhere. Registered users can currently collect fuel from designated stations in Dhaka,” he said adding that over 170,000 registrations have been completed so far.