Tk 3 per km

The National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads, and Railways (NCPSRR) yesterday demanded that the government cut the metro rail fare by 50 percent.

The organisation made the demand a day after Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader announced that the government has set the metro rail fare at Tk 5 per kilometre.

From Uttara to Motijheel, the entire 20.10km length of the service, the fare would be Tk 100 while the lowest price of a ticket would be Tk 20.

A statement issued by NCPSRR president Md Shahid Mia and general secretary Ashis Kumar Dey criticised the government decision.

Leaders of the civic organisation said when the minimum fare of private buses is set at Tk 10, almost double the fare for state transport facility -- metro rail -- is completely "unfair, unexpected and unacceptable".

This will only lead to an increase in people's travel expenses, they said.

The cost of transportation has increased tremendously due to the rise in fuel prices. Along with that, with the unbridled hike in prices of essential goods, including medicines, people's living cost has increased by more than 40 percent.

The statement said low and fixed-income people, especially those who are living in Dhaka, are struggling to support their families.

The organisation demanded that the minimum fare of this state-run transport should be reduced by 50 percent to Tk 10 and the fare per km should be reduced from Tk 5 to Tk 3.

The much-awaited metro rail is going to be launched in December this year partially. In the first phase, metro will run from Uttara to Agargaon. The fare of this route would be Tk 60 per person.