Transport fare hike in 10 days [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Transport fare hike in 10 days

Local September 02, 2015

‘A 12-member committee led by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority chairman has been asked to recommend the revised fares by September 10 taking into consideration the ground reality and the public interest as well,’ road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader told a news conference at the ministry.
He said punitive actions would be taken if anyone charged extra before the government revised the fares.
He said that they were under ‘serious pressure’ from Road Transport Association for increasing transport fare following the gas price hike that came into effect from Tuesday.
Some buses and most CNG-run auto-rickshaws on Tuesday increased their fares without waiting for the government decision in this regard, passengers alleged.
The 12-member committee was formed in January 2013 with representatives
from stakeholders to adjust the transport fares from time to time in keeping with the energy prices. The road transport fares were last revised in September 2011 following gas price hike.
There was an eight-member committee, also led by the authority chairman, to revise the CNG-run auto-rickshaw fare.
‘Both the committees have been asked to sit within September 5 to 10 and submit their recommendations on the fares of the public transports including buses and auto-rickshaws by September 10,’ Quader said.
The auto-rickshaws are charging much beyond the rates set by the government.
Asked about the government’s failure to implement the auto-rickshaw fare, Obaidul admitted the fact that authorities concerned could not restore discipline in the transport sector.
The government on August 27 increased prices of gas and electricity with effect from September 1. Gas price has been increased by Tk 5 per cubic metre.
Transport owners on Sunday submitted a letter to the road transport and bridges ministry for increasing fares for buses and minibuses running in Dhaka and Chittagong metropolitan areas.
On September 19, 2011, the government fixed per kilometre bus fare at Tk 1.60 and minibus fare at Tk 1.50 and set the minimum fare at Tk 7 for buses and Tk 5 for minibuses.
It also raised the CNG-run auto-rickshaw fare to Tk 7.64 a kilometre, keeping the minimum fare unchanged at Tk 25 for first two kilometres and increased the waiting charge to Tk 1.30 per minute.
Since then almost none of the buses or the auto-rickshaws plying city roads maintain the minimum fares.
The auto-rickshaws usually charge at their ‘whims,’ creating extra-burden on the passengers, who find no other alternative means for transportation.
Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association secretary general K Enayet Ullah said after 2011 the fare rate for buses and minibuses were not hiked. ‘So the demand for raising transport fare is justified,’ he said, adding that they did not propose any specific fare rate.
Dhaka Metropolitan CNG Auto-Rickshaw Business Owners Association president Md Barkat Ullah Bhulu said that they had already urged the authorities to increase auto-rickshaw fare to Tk 40 for the first two kilometres and Tk 12 for each subsequent kilometre and daily deposit to Tk 850 from Tk 600.
‘After the recent gas price hike, we can propose Tk 13 for each kilometre and Tk 900 for daily deposit,’ he said.
Barkat denied the allegations of increasing the fares on their own.
The minister said he was aware of the irregularities and working hard to address them.