Bus fare hike
Owners demand 60% fare hike to operate bus at half capacity in Ctg
Bus owners in Chattogram on Thursday demanded a 60 per cent hike in fare to run buses at their half capacities as per the government’s instruction to fight off Covid.
“If we have to operate buses keeping 50 per cent seats empty, we want the fare raised by 60 per cent like the previous time,” said Belayet Hossain, General Secretary of Chattogram Metropolitan Bus Owner’s Group.
Though the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) said the directive will be effective from Saturday but bus owners in Chattogram will take decision in this regard after a meeting on it that day, he said.
Monjurul Alam Monju, General Secretary of Chattogram Road Transport Owner’s Group said, “Although the owners incurred losses they carried 50 per cent with 60 per cent increased fare during the lockdown following the government’s instruction.”
If the government wants the bus owners to follow the health guidelines fare need to be raised, otherwise, it will become impossible to operate buses, he said.
Read: Buses to operate with 50% passengers at same fare: BRTA
On Wednesday, BRTA said buses will operate at half of their capacities from Saturday and at the previous fare.
The decision was taken at a meeting with the leaders of transport owners and workers.
Meanwhile, the leaders of transport owners and workers demanded the government allow them operate buses at their full capacities maintaining proper health protocols as flights are allowed to operate at 100 per cent of their capacities.
The buses will not carry passengers beyond the number of seats in a bus, they said.
The BRTA director said a recommendation will be submitted to the cabinet on Thursday in this regard.
On Monday, the government imposed restrictions on public movement and other activities like operating public transport at their half capacities amid the growing concern over the new Omicron variant of Coronavirus.
Read: Jatri Kalyan Samity demands withdrawal of increased bus fares
On November 3, the government raised the prices of diesel and kerosene by Tk 15 per litre, prompting the transporters to enforce an indefinite strike in the country on November 7 demanding a hike in bus fares.
Amid the worsening public woes caused by the transport strike, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) raised the bus fares of intra-city and inter-district buses by 26.5% and 27%, respectively.
Bus owners hike fare on Dhaka-Narayanganj route
Owners have unilaterally increased fare for all buses plying on Dhaka-Naryanganj route without any prior notice on Thursday.
One-way fare of Himachal, Utshab and Bandhan transportation service buses on this route has jumped to Tk 50 from Tk 36.
Meanwhile AC bus service Shital transportation’s fare has been increased to Tk 65 from Tk 55.
Just within 24 hours of increasing the fuel prices in Bangladesh, increasing the fare of buses which are means of transportation for low- and middle-income earners have agitated the passengers.
Service holder Ali Hasan said he became shocked with the sudden hike of Tk 14 just within a day when he went to collect a ticket this morning on the way to office.
Read: Private operators’ LPG: Price goes up again
“There is no regularity in hiking the price of any goods in the country anymore,” he said.
Meanwhile, president of Bandhan bus owners’ association Jewel Hossain said the cost for fuel, tax, tolls has increased and so “we have fixed the price accordingly to run the service.”
On Wednesday, the government raised the prices of diesel and kerosene at the retail level.
As per the new price, the diesel and kerosene will be selling at Tk 80 per litre instead of Tk 65 with effect from zero hour on Thursday, said a press release of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
It said the prices of other petroleum products will remain unchanged.
It clarified that the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has been incurring a loss of Tk 20 crore per day as it is selling diesel at Tk 13.01 lower per litre and furnace oil at Tk 6.21 per litre, lower than their imported prices.
Read: Fuel price hike: transporters to go on indefinite strike from Friday
It said the petroleum prices have been readjusted against the backdrop of price hike of petroleum on the international market.
Meanwhile, bus, truck and covered van owners called an indefinite nationwide strike from Friday in protest against fuel price hike.
Bus fare hike: HC drops petition from cause list
The High Court on Thursday dropped from the cause list a writ petition challenging the legality of the notification issued by the government to increase bus fare by 60 percent.