The government raised bus fares up to 27 per cent and that of launch by 35 per cent to end wildcat strikes enforced on both roadways and waterways to protest hike in fuel prices.
As per a decision made at a crisis-resolution meeting Sunday, fares of diesel-operated city and long- route buses increased per passenger per kilometre by 27 and 26.5 per cent respectively.
Following the announcement of the revised fares at a spot press meet after the meeting at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) office, Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association (BRTOA) also announced its decision to call off the countrywide transport strike.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges in a press release said the new fares will be effective from Monday, November 08, 2021
BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder briefed the journalists on the revised fares after the meeting that had lasted seven hours doing the arithmetic of the fuel and fare rates, which, ultimately, people are to pay.
The negotiations took place in presence of stakeholders, including representatives from BRTOA, Federation of Road Transport Workers, Consumers Association of Bangladesh, BRTC, the Ministry of Energy and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation.
The chairman said per-passenger per-kilometre (pppm) fare for diesel-operated city bus has been fixed at Tk 2.15 with a minimum fare of Tk 10.
"Fare of minibus will be 10 paisa less than the bus fare and its minimum fare is now Tk 8.0," he announced.
According to the revision, he said, fare for long-route buses has been re-fixed at Tk 1.8, up from Tk 1.42.
The BRTA revised the fares last on maximum fare for ppkm both for city bus and long-haul ones up to Tk 1.45 and Tk 1.7 after issuing a circular on January 22, 2013.
However, the fare for the long-route buses was revised again, reducing to Tk 1.42 following reduction in the diesel price on May 4, 2016.
The BRTA called the meeting to revise the fares on receipt of an application from the BRTOA on Thursday after strike was called by the district-level transport owners' association in brusque reaction to the oil-price raise.
The meeting started negotiations with the stakeholders at around 11 am based on BRTA's proposal of revision prepared by the fare-costing committee on September 19, 2019.
The BRTA proposed the rate for the city bus Tk 2.10 and Tk 1.82 for long-distance buses.
On the other hand, the BRTOA proposed to hike the bus fares for long route to Tk 2.0 and city bus and minibus Tk 2.40.
During the briefing, BRTOA leader Khandaker Enayetullah said the proposal to hike at a rate of 47 per cent to 50 per cent had been placed considering increase in cost of operating buses long before due to no change in the fares during the last eight years.
"We have not got the desired level of revision as expected. But we have agreed at the last limit in order to reduce the level of sufferings of the people due to the strike," he told the journalists at the briefing.
"We will be at break-even level with the new fare rates," he also said, responding to a question.
The BRTA chairman also said the new fares will not be applicable to CNG-operated buses and minibuses as they will follow the previous rates due to no change in the gas price.
Asked how passengers will understand the buses running whether CNG or diesel, the chairman said, "Mobile courts and traffic police will take action against them if any such complaint is received."
Enayetullah, however, claimed that almost all CNG-operated buses have switched to diesel buses being unable to run those for facing technical problems.
He said one or two buses run on CNG.
The ministry press release said ppph fares for the buses running under the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority in Naranyaganj, Munshiganj, Narsingdi, Gazipur and Manikganj and Dhaka district will be Tk 2.05
The new fares will not be applicable to petrol, octane and gas-operated transports.
Meanwhile, the government increased the launch fare by Tk 0.60 for per kilometre to Tk 2.30 with immediate effect following the latest price hike of diesel.
The 35-percent hike in the launch fares was made at a marathon meeting between the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the launch operators at BIWTA office in the city on Sunday.
Earlier, the launch owners under the banner of Bangladesh Inland Waterways (Passenger Vessels) Association had proposed the government increase cent percent the launch fare.
Chairman of BIWTA Commodore Golam Sadeq presided over the meeting.
After the meeting was over, he told the media that the fare for each kilometer is now fixed at Tk 2.30 instead from Tk 1.70 for the first 100 kilometre journey while Tk 2.00 instead of Tk 1.40 for the distance beyond the first 100 kilometre.
Earlier, the launch owners had proposed the government to increase the fare from Tk 1.7 to Tk 3.40 per kilometer for the first 100 kilometre and from Tk 1.4 to Tk 2.8 per km for traveling the distance beyond the first 100 km.
The meeting also increased the minimum launch fare for each person to Tk 30 from Tk 18.
The government has increased Tk 15 for per litre of diesel and kerosene.
According to bdnews24.com, the Bangladesh Truck, Covered Van and Tanker Lorry Prime Movers Owners and Workers Coordinating Council has decided to continue their transport strike to demand a reversal of the diesel price hike.
"We met and decided to continue our strike," said Tajul Islam, the organisation's secretary after the group met on Sunday afternoon. "Our strike will continue until the fuel price is reduced."
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