Desk Report
Published: 13 Dec 2021, 08:36 pm
File Photo
The
Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges has issued a notification halving the
bus fare of students on five conditions. The fare will be effective in all metropolitan
areas of the country.
The
notification was issued on Sunday in the wake of the decision of the Bangladesh
Road Transport Owners Association.
The
circular, signed by Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and
Bridges Mohammad Jasim Uddin, said the fare would be effective from December 1
in Dhaka metropolitan area and from December 11 in other metropolitan areas.
Diesel
price was increased by 23 percent on November 4. After that, under the pressure
of the transport owners, the government increased the bus fare by 27 percent.
And after that the students started a movement demanding half fare for the bus.
This movement started mainly in Dhaka metropolitan area. Later it spread to
other cities of the country. The movement gained momentum on November 24 when a
student of Notre Dame College was killed in a collision with a City Corporation
vehicle in Dhaka. The next day, Ahsan Kabir Khan was killed by a Dhaka North
City Corporation (DNCC) garbage truck on the opposite side of Bashundhara City
Complex.
In
the face of continuous student protest, first on BRTC buses and then on
November 30, the transport owners announced to halve the bus fare in Dhaka. One
of the conditions of the 11-point movement of the students was to confirm the
issue of half rent through government notification. In view of this, this
notification was issued.
Students
will be able to pay 50 percent or less of the current rent.
The
second condition, while traveling, is that students must carry with them a
photo ID issued by their respective educational institution along with valid
identity card and show it if required.
The
third condition is that in the case of private bus service from 8 am to 8 pm, half
the fare will be available.
Fourth
condition, this half fare will not be applicable on educational holidays.
The
fifth and last condition is that this half fare will not be applicable for long
distance buses.