[ALOCHONA] Public Transport :30pc rise in fare

Public Transport :30pc rise in fare




Against the backdrop of a recent chaotic situation over transport fares, the government yesterday increased bus fares by around 30 percent to be effective from May 19.According to revised fares, buses and minibuses operating in Dhaka and Chittagong cities will charge each passenger Tk 1.55 and Tk 1.45 per kilometre instead of Tk 1.20 and Tk 1.10 respectively.The minimum fare of this mass transport service has been raised to Tk 7 from Tk 5.

The fares of CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)-run three-wheelers have also been hiked by around seven percent from Tk 7 to Tk 7.50 per km while its waiting charge has been revised from Tk 1.25 to Tk 1.30, which is around four percent.The new fares were finalised at a marathon meeting between the government and the leaders of transport owner and labour associations at the communications ministry.

The meeting was convened in the face of frequent chaos between transport operators and passengers over charging irrationally higher fares after the government increased the prices of petroleum on May 5 and CNG on May 12.As per a consensus between the two sides, all modes of transport will charge the previous rates till tomorrow."If anyone charges additional fare before that, the government will certainly cancel the route permits of those transport," Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain told the meeting.

The diesel-run inter-district bus and minibus fares were also increased by more than 22 percent. The new fare will be Tk 1.15 per km which is now Tk 0.94.Earlier a committee comprised of government officials and transport owners fixed new transport fares. It fixed bus and minibus fares at Tk 1.50 and Tk 1.45 per km respectively while Tk 1.10 per km for inter-district buses.

But leaders of transport owners' association Khandaker Enayetullah and Moshiur Rahman Ranga did not agree when the committee, headed by Bangladesh Road Transport Authority Chairman Ayubur Rahman, placed the new rates before the meeting.They demanded fixing the bus and minibus fares at Tk 1.60 and Tk 1.50 per km respectively, while the minimum fare at Tk 10.

Commuters in many places bargained with the transport operators for charging higher fares without any official authorisation.Sukumar Sarkar, a counterman of BRTC special bus service in Gulistan-Manikganj route, said their authority has increased the fare for the last two days.

"We are taking Tk 85 from Farmgate to Paturia Ghat, which was Tk 75 two days back," he added.

Syed Abdul Ahad, a passenger of Onabil bus service on Maniknagar-Uttara route, said they were giving an additional Tk 10 to go to Uttra from Maniknagar for the last few days."Most of the counter bus services on this route have increased fares and the passengers have been bearing the brunt of it," noted Ahad.

Many drivers of CNG-run three-wheelers are charging additional Tk 20 to Tk 30 from the passengers.Moreover, many others are carrying passengers on contractual basis since the price of CNG was hiked, according to commuters
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=186065

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