Bus fare reduced by Tk0.03 per km, criticised as 'joke' by Jatri Kalyan Samiti

The government has reduced bus fares by Tk0.03 per kilometre on both long routes and city services, a move criticised by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samiti alleging that "the government is playing a joke on passengers".

The new fare will come into effect from today, according to a circular issued yesterday by the Road Transport and Highways Division.

The decision will lead to a decrease of 1.3% in long-distance bus fares and a decrease of 1.22% in intercity bus fares.

As per the decision, bus fares will be reduced only Tk3 per 100 kilometres.

For example, the distance between Dhaka and Chattogram is 252 km. The current bus fare on this route for non-AC bus services is Tk680. According to the new decision, the fare will be reduced by Tk8 to Tk9.

Similarly, the intercity bus fare from Farmgate to Taltala-Agargaon in the capital is currently Tk10. The new fare will be Tk9.88.

We have started work to create the fare chart and hope it will be finished by tomorrow (Tuesday).

Mahbub-E-Rabbani, director and spokesperson, BRTA

A committee of the BRTA made the recommendation following the government's decision yesterday that per litre diesel and kerosene will be sold at Tk106 in April – a Tk2.25 drop from March prices.

After a meeting – led by BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder – at the BRTA headquarters in the capital's Banani yesterday, bus owners also agreed to the recommendation to reduce bus fares.

As per the circular, the fare of intercity and long-route buses will be Tk2.12 per km, instead of Tk2.15 per km. The fare of city buses will be Tk2.42 per km, instead of Tk2.45 per km. Fare for minibus will be Tk2.32 per km, instead of Tk2.35 per km.

The minimum fare for bus and minibus will remain the same at Tk10 and Tk8 in city services.

Criticising this move, the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samiti alleged that the government is playing a joke on passengers by aiming to reduce bus fare by only Tk0.03 per kilometre instead of making the reduction according to the drop in fuel prices.

In a statement, the orgaisation said collecting extra fare has become common in most buses plying on roads across the country ahead of Eid.

The organisation further said, "Earlier, the government reduced the bus fare by Tk0.02 in 2011. Common passengers did not get the benefit of this."

"Then in 2016, due to reduction in fuel oil prices, passengers of the country were again deprived of the benefit of bus fare being reduced by Tk0.03."

"The actual benefit of fuel price reduction will be enjoyed only by owners of buses and other transport, but the people of the country will be deprived," said the statement.

The organisation demanded to immediately reduce fuel oil prices at a significant rate and adjust bus fares considering affordability of passengers.

BRTA Director (Road Safety) and spokesperson Mahbub-E-Rabbani said, "We have started work to create the fare chart and hope it will be finished by tomorrow (Tuesday)."

He said that the new fare chart is designed to be proportionate. Fare adjustments are based on fluctuations in oil prices, with each paisa decrease or increase in fare corresponding to a one-taka decrease or increase in oil price. This approach aligns with previous practices.

However, Rabbani further said that fare adjustments are not solely dependent on oil prices. Factors such as vehicle parts prices and maintenance costs are also taken into account, resulting in a comprehensive assessment to ensure fair and balanced fare adjustments.

'Fare not reducing now'

Although the government announced a reduction in bus fare, it will not be implemented immediately. The new fares will be applied once the BRTA creates the necessary charts, said officials from the Bus-Truck Owners Association.

Joint Secretary of the Bus-Truck Owners Association, Suvenker Ghosh Rakesh, said that the reduced fare will not significantly impact the total fare. "Passengers will not see much savings. Additionally, our Eid tickets have already been sold. However, we will begin charging the new fare once BRTA provides the chart."

According to sources from the meeting, bus owners initially opposed a decrease in bus fare. They demanded that if a fare adjustment were to be made later, it should be effective after Eid.

Advocate Mahbubur Rahman, vice president of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, said at the meeting, "Reduce the fare after Eid. If the declaration is made before Eid and the notification is issued, there will be conflicts on the streets over fares."

The government hiked bus fares in August 2023

The government increased fuel prices on 5 August 2023, raising the per litre price of diesel by Tk34, octane by Tk46, and petrol by Tk44.

In response to the fuel price hike, a bus fare determination committee recommended on 6 August that bus fares be increased by 40 paisa per kilometre for long-haul routes and 35 paisa per kilometre for metropolitan areas.

Prior to the fare increase, the bus fare per kilometre was Tk1.80 for long-distance travel and Tk2.15 for travel in metropolitan areas.

The government decided to increase the bus fare by 35 paisa per kilometre to Tk2.15 for long-distance travel and by 30 paisa to Tk2.45 in the metropolitan areas of Dhaka and Chattogram.

Launch fares unlikely to drop

Launch fares are unlikely to decrease anytime soon as the owners argue that they are already charging lower fares.

Saidur Rahman Rintu, vice president of the Bangladesh Launch Owners Association, told TBS, "We are already charging lower fares than the government-mandated fares. The government has set the fare at Tk458, but we are charging Tk350. We are also charging less for cabins, around Tk500. Therefore, there is no need to reduce the fare further."

Prior to the August fuel price increase, the launch fare per kilometre was Tk2.19 per passenger. Following the fuel price hike, the fare was increased by 19.18%, or 42 paisa, to Tk2.62.