Bus, auto fare hiked

The government yesterday hiked bus and CNG-run auto-rickshaw fares in Dhaka and Chittagong cities amid passengers' worry that transport operators may charge them more than the rate fixed.

Passengers alleged they had to pay more than the government-set rates every time transport fares were increased in the past, thanks to lax monitoring by the authorities concerned.

The bus fare will go up around 7 percent this time to Tk 1.70 per kilometre from Tk 1.60. The fare for minibuses will become Tk 1.60 from Tk 1.50 per kilometre.

However, the minimum bus fare remains Tk 7. It is Tk 5 for minibuses.

While announcing the new rate at the secretariat yesterday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader expressed his unhappiness with transport operators and said they often do not follow the government-set rates.

He, however, said an 11-member committee, headed by a Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) director, has been formed to strictly monitor the situation.

The revised fare for buses will be effective from October 1 and for auto-rickshaws from November 1.

“People don't get worried if there is a fare hike of Tk 5 or Tk 10. They get worried if rates which have been decided are not followed,” Quader told journalists.

Later, the minister told The Daily Star he hoped this time the new fare rate would be followed properly as the decision was taken after discussions with all the stakeholders, including the transport operators.

The Daily Star talked to a dozen commuters in the capital. They claimed they are always charged more than the government-fixed fares as “transport operators hike fares as they want.”

As a result, brawls over fare break out between passengers and bus helpers quite often.

Kalimullah, a shop owner, who regularly travels from Uttara to New Market in buses, said he has to pay Tk 45 to Tk 50 every day for the trip. “It should not be more than Tk 38 according to what the government had decided,” he claimed.

As per the revised fare, a passenger, who now pays around Tk 28 for travelling from Mirpur-1 to Jatrabari in a bus, will be charged Tk 30.

”You are definitely lucky if you ever get a CNG-run auto-rickshaw that uses the meter,” said another commuter.

"Auto-rickshaws operators always charge me Tk 300 to 350 for travelling from Mirpur-1 to Saydabad. It would not be more than Tk 200 according to the meter,” said Faisal Mahmud, who works at a private firm.

Commuters say drivers of the three-wheelers always ask for higher fares, using traffic jam, rains, and damaged streets as excuses.

In the latest hike, CNG-run auto-rickshaw fare in Dhaka, Chittagong cities and their surrounding areas have been increased up to 60 percent more on the existing rates.

Passengers will have to pay Tk 40 for the first two kilometres instead of the existing fare of Tk 25 for the distance. They will be charged Tk 12 instead of current Tk 7.64 for next kilometres.

For example, a passenger is now supposed to pay around Tk 190 for travelling from Baniazuri of Uttara to Palashi in the vehicle. After the rate hike, it will cost the person Tk 300.

The minimum auto-rickshaw fare has been raised to Tk 40 from Tk 25.

Auto-rickshaw drivers will have to pay their owners Tk 900 per day as rent instead of the present Tk 600.

The government has recently hiked gas prices.

Meanwhile, different political and social organisations have protested the government move to hike transport fares.