Fare hike applies only to diesel-run buses, not to CNG-run buses

Staff Reporter:

The government has raised bus fares by 11 paisa per kilometre in Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitan areas as well as on inter-district routes, following a recent Tk 15 per litre increase in diesel price.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam announced the decision today after a meeting with transport owners and stakeholders at the ministry.

The revised fares would take effect from today, the minister said.

Under the new rates, fares in Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitan areas have been increased from Tk 2.42 to Tk 2.53 per kilometre, while fares for 52-seat inter-district buses have gone up from Tk 2.12 to Tk 2.23 per kilometre. In the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) area, the fare has been raised from Tk 2.32 to Tk 2.43 per kilometre.

However, the minimum bus fares of Tk 10 in metropolitan areas and Tk 8 outside metropolitan areas will remain unchanged, the minister said.

He also clarified that the fare hike applies only to diesel-run buses, while CNG-run bus fares remain unchanged.

At a press conference, Rabiul said transport owners had initially demanded a 28-paisa increase per kilometre, citing higher maintenance costs and the rise in the US dollar. However, the government decided to limit the increase to 11 paisa, considering public interest.

He further said that under the existing formula, the increase driven by fuel prices alone would have been around 15 paisa per kilometre, but it was brought down to 11 paisa after discussions with stakeholders.

“They [transport owners] had several additional demands. As I mentioned earlier, their maintenance costs and other expenses have increased, but we did not take those into consideration now,” the minister said.

He added that Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) would from now on adjust fares automatically under a specific formula whenever fuel prices rise or fall.

Replying to another query, the minister said there could be scope for review in future fare settings, but the current decision was only an adjustment based on fuel price changes, not a revision of the full fare structure.

He also said no decision had yet been taken on revising rail or waterway fares.

The minister warned that strict monitoring would be in place to ensure operators do not charge passengers more than the fixed rates.