Transporters at Ctg port demand 50% fare hike

The owners of goods transports in Chattogram on Saturday demanded a 50 per cent increase of fares in the wake of the record fuel price hike across the country.

Chowdhury Zafar Ahmad, secretary general of Bangladesh Covered Vans, Trucks, Prime Movers Goods Transport Owners Association, said that at least 50 per cent fare must be increased to coordinate the transportation of goods against the backdrop of the fuel price hike.

The latest increase of price, meanwhile, has impacted negatively on the goods delivery from the Chittagong port as owners of transports and goods faced a chaotic situation over fixing of new fares.

The movement of trucks, covered vans and lorries at the port and adjacent Majhir Ghat area became thin compared to the usual days.

The transport owners stopped making advance bookings to carry goods to and from the Chittagong port demanding the fare increase with workers stopping work as well.

The vehicle owners said they were cancelling the current bookings unless the owners of goods agreed to pay an additional amount of money.

According to transport owners and workers’ organisations, at least 8,000 vehicles transport goods every day from Chattogram, but the number came down to a half on Saturday.

The fare of a truck, covered van and similar vehicle for transporting goods from Chattogram to Dhaka was fixed at Tk 20,000, but owners of the vehicles now charged Tk 25,000-Tk 30,000.