Bus fares increased by 17 paisa per km

Bus fares have been increased following a rise in fuel prices. A decision has been taken to raise fares by 17 paisa per kilometre for long-distance routes and city buses, including those in the capital.

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is expected to issue a gazette notification shortly.

According to BRTA sources, the increased fares will apply only to ordinary diesel-powered buses. The government does not set fares for air-conditioned (AC) buses, nor does it determine fares for other goods-carrying vehicles, including trucks and covered vans.

Therefore, the increased fare will not apply to goods-carrying vehicles and AC buses.

BRTA officials said the fares have been set based on 52-seat large buses and 30-seat minibuses. However, on intercity routes, many operators reduce the number of seats in 52-seat buses to make them more comfortable. In such cases, fares may vary.

For example, the distance from Dhaka to Chattogram on a long-distance route is close to 250 kilometres. On this route, the fare for a 52-seat bus will increase by slightly more than Tk 40.

However, the fare will increase by more if a bus is converted to 40 seats for greater comfort. Road and bridge tolls are added to the fares of all types of buses.

According to BRTA sources, a comprehensive list showing fares by route and distance for intercity and city buses will be published. However, this may take a day or two.

Meanwhile, transport owners and workers began charging higher fares from buses leaving various terminals, including Gabtoli, Sayedabad, Mohakhali and Fulbaria in the capital, from Monday.

In some places, fares have been increased by Tk 100 or more. There have been allegations that Sakura Paribahan has charged an additional Tk 100 on the Dhaka-Barishal route. However, the fare on this route should increase by no more than Tk 30.

There is a cost analysis committee for determining bus fares. Other costs are usually added when fuel prices rise. However, the government has decided not to include other costs this time. In other words, the fare increase will correspond only to the increase in fuel prices.

Normally, when the price of fuel rises by Tk 1, bus fares increase by 1 paisa per kilometre. This time, the price of diesel has increased by Tk 20 per litre. The BRTA had proposed increasing fares by 20 paisa per kilometre. However, the Road Transport Ministry decided to reduce this to 17 paisa.

According to sources concerned, a meeting on the fare increase was held at the BRTA headquarters in Banani yesterday, Monday. Leaders of transport owners’ and workers’ organisations were also present.

Prior to this, transport owners’ and workers’ leaders had met Road Transport and Railways Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam at the ministry and sought a fare increase.

Many vehicles, including buses, trucks, covered vans and tempos, run on diesel. Among them, fares for goods-carrying vehicles are not determined by the government.

The government also does not set fares for air-conditioned (AC) buses. The fares of AC buses and goods-carrying vehicles are determined by the owners and workers themselves.

On the other hand, although the government determines fares for non-AC buses and city buses and minibuses, these are not followed. In addition, even when fares are reduced after fuel prices fall, the reductions are not implemented.

The government raised the price of diesel by Tk 20 per litre to Tk 135 on Sunday night.

Earlier, in April, the price of diesel had been increased by Tk 15 per litre. At that time, bus fares were increased by 11 paisa per kilometre.

Currently, bus fares in Dhaka and Chattogram city areas are Tk 2.53 per kilometre, which will rise to Tk 2.70. The fare for minibuses is Tk 2.42 per kilometre, which will rise to Tk 2.59.

Meanwhile, the fare for 52-seat buses on long-distance routes is Tk 2.23 per kilometre, which will now be Tk 2.40 per kilometre.