BRTA, bus owners to fix new fares Wednesday

The fare Fixing committee consisting of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) representatives and bus owners will hold a meeting on Wednesday to adjust the transport fare in view of the Tk5 cut in fuel oil prices.

"As the government decreases the fuel oil price, fare on transports also will be decreased. It was our commitment to the people," said Khandaker Enayet Ullah, secretary general of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners' Association Tuesday (30 August).

The committee may reduce the fares by five paisa, said a member wishing not to be named.

"We believe this is based on our previous adjustment of fuel price. Earlier, the money was increased or decreased by the same amount. Earlier, with every taka increase or decrease in oil prices, the fares were increased or decreased in paisa of the same amount," he told The Business Standard.

However, Enayet Ullah noted that the exact amount can be fixed with BRTA after assessing costs.

At present, the intra-bus fare in Dhaka and Chattogram is Tk2.5 per km and Tk2.2 per km for long-haul buses.

After diesel price was increased by Tk34, fares were increased by 34 paisa per km.

The government slashed prices of all sorts of fuel oil by Tk5 per litre Monday.

With the new rate, prices of diesel and kerosene dropped to Tk109 per litre, octane to Tk130 per litre and petrol to Tk125 per litre.