The government on Saturday increased the long-route bus fare by 15 paisa a kilometre a day after the fourth round of fuel price hike in 2011.
But the fares of buses and minibuses operating in Dhaka and Chittagong metropolitan cities were not raised.
The new fare would come into effect from January 2, 2012, said Bangladesh Road Transport Authority chairman Mohammad Ayubur Rahman Khan at a press briefing after a meeting at Sarak Bhaban in the city.
Presided over by communications minister Obaidul Quader, the meeting approved the BRTA proposal for raising the long-route bus fare by 13 per cent in keeping with the latest fuel price hike.
The government on Thursday night increased prices of all fuel oils by Tk 5 a litre—the prices of diesel and kerosene have been fixed at Tk 61 from Tk 56 a litre, furnace oil at Tk 60 from Tk 55, petrol at Tk 91 from Tk 86 and octane at Tk 94 from Tk 89. It is expected that the CNG price would also be hiked soon.
‘We will sit again to revise the bus and minibus fares for Dhaka and Chittagong cities soon,’ BRTA chairman said.
He said as diesel price had been increased from Tk 56 to Tk 61, the fare of diesel-run buses operating on long routes had been increased to Tk 1.35 from Tk 1.20 a km per passenger.
‘The ministry will issue a gazette notification to the effect on Sunday and the new fare will be implemented Monday,’ Ayubur added.
The fare fixation committee members earlier in the morning discussed the matter at the BRTA office to finalise the proposal for the meeting with the minister.
‘After analysing all the criteria for raising fares, the committee members from BRTA, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, Dhaka Transport Co-ordination Board, and different transport owners’ associations’ representatives, recommended the long-route buse fare be increased by 23 paisa a km,’ the BRTA chairman said.
Replaying to a query, Ayubur said if any transport operators charged extra in the capital, the BRTA executive magistrates would take action. Moreover, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police would be asked to help the authorities to implement the new fare, he added.
Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Samity secretary general Khandaker Enayetullah, who was also present at the meeting, said it was an exception that the owners had this time agreed the government’s decision.
‘We are urging all transport owners in Dhaka and Chittagong cities not to increase fares of buses and minibuses before further price hike of CNG and the government’s decision in this regard. ,’ he added.
The government has already failed to enforce the increased fares announced in May and September 2011 as many buses in the capital, most of them CNG-run buses, are still charging much higher than the rates set by the authorities.
-With New Age input
