In light of the increase in fuel oil prices, the new fares for public transport will be set today, Thursday, according to Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam.
He came up with the information to journalists yesterday, Wednesday, after an important meeting held at the Secretariat regarding fare hikes.
Immediately after the fuel price hike, transport owners and workers became active in pushing for increased fares in public transport. Although no official announcement has yet been made by the government, there have been complaints from many parts of the country that passengers are already being charged higher fares.
This has also led to disputes between passengers and transport workers in various places. In such an unstable situation, the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association has instructed those concerned not to increase fares until an official government decision is announced.
Currently, the government-set bus fare for long-distance routes in the country is 2 taka 12 paisa per kilometer. In the metropolitan areas of Dhaka and Chattogram, the current bus fare is 2 taka 42 paisa per kilometer.
Meanwhile, sources from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) say that the fare निर्धারণ committee has recommended an increase of 22 paisa per kilometer. However, the final decision will be adjusted and determined after the ministry’s meeting.