BRTA Propose to Increase Bus Fare by More Than 40 Percent

The owners and leaders of public transportation have recommended a 40 percent rise in fares across the board.

Following the increase in gasoline prices, a meeting is being held today at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) office to regulate the fares of all public transportation.

Passengers traveling between cities are being charged Tk 1.42 per kilometer.

According to meeting sources, BRTA suggested a 40 paisa/km fare increase in order to reflect the increase in diesel and kerosene prices.

Representatives from the county's transportation sector, on the other hand, wanted a 58 paisa/km increase for long-haul buses, which would be a 40.85% increase over the current cost.

BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder is presiding over the meeting where Khandakar Enayetullah, secretary-general, Bangladesh Public Transport Owners' Association; Ramesh Chandra Ghosh, chairman of Bangladesh Bus-Truck Owners' Association; Ghulam Rahman, chairman of Consumers' Association Bangladesh; Shukdeb Dhali, director (operations) of BTRC are present among others. 

On Wednesday, the government raised fuel and kerosene rates by Tk15 to Tk80 per litre, blaming a turbulent global crude oil market. Owners and workers in the transportation industry responded by calling a nationwide indefinite strike, demanding either a fare increase or a reversal of the raise.

The past two days have been a nightmare for commuters. In Dhaka, most types of public transportation, including intra-city and inter-city buses, stayed off the roads, adding to the general populace's miniseries.