Fare chaos in Dhaka buses

The government has only raised fares for diesel-run buses, but CNG-run buses in the capital also charged passengers increased fares on Monday as there was little monitoring by the authorities.

Passengers of most of the CNG-run buses on different roads were charged new fares as drivers and helpers claimed the buses are diesel-powered.

Although Bihongo Poribohon on the Mirpur-Sadarghat route has been known as a CNG-powered bus for long, its passengers claimed they had been charged additional fares.

One of the passengers Parvez Ali, a shop worker, said fuel prices had been increased by Tk 15 per litre, but passengers were charged Tk 45 to travel from Mirpur to Sadarghat, which was Tk 30 before, a 50 per cent jump.

According to the new rates, the fare from Mirpur to Sadarghat should be Tk 35. “Who will see this irregularity? This will kill low-income people like us,” he told The Business Post in an angry voice.

When another passenger of the bus raised his voice, saying Bihongo buses had been running on CNG for long, the driver replied, “Open the fuel tank and see if our bus runs on CNG or diesel.”

Dhaka Judge Court lawyer Mostaque Ahmed, who was on the bus, shouted at the conductor, “I will not pay any extra fare.” But after five minutes of argument, he had to pay Tk 40 to travel to Paltan from Mirpur.

Iqbal Sheikh, the conductor of a Bihongo bus, said he had been instructed by his employer to charge passengers according to the new rates.

In addition to Bihongo, additional fares were charged on almost all CNG-run buses on the Mirpur-Sadarghat route.

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) data shows 12,526 buses run in the capital, and 11,900 of them run on gas. This means only 626 buses (5 per cent) in Dhaka run on diesel.

The government increased fares for intra-city and long-haul buses by 26.5 per cent and 27 per cent respectively, adding this would not apply to CNG-run vehicles.

Though 95 per cent of buses in the capital run on gas, passengers travelling on at least nine routes claimed they had to pay 30 to 50 per cent extra fares.

In front of the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute in Mirpur, a helper of Itihas Poribohon said the fare from Mirpur to Savar was Tk 30 before, but his employer had asked him to charge passengers Tk 45.

“I am only allowing those passengers to get on the bus who have verbally agreed to pay the new fares.”

Most of the circular buses running in Hatirjheel area are CNG-powered, but still they raised fares. The fare from Merul Badda to FDC used to be Tk 15, but passengers were charged Tk 20. Fares were also increased on other CNG-run buses on nearby routes. Abdur Rahman, a student of East West University, had to pay Tk 15 to reach Aftabnagar from North Badda, which was Tk 10 previously.

He astonishingly asked the helper, “Why should I pay Tk 15 for the two-kilometre journey?” Maruf Rashid, a private bank official who travelled by Gazipur Paribahan from Mohakhali to Moghbazar, said the previous fare was Tk 10, but he had to pay Tk 15.

BRTA Spokesperson and Director Mahbub-E-Rabbani told The Business Post action would be taken immediately if fare irregularities were reported.

“Our surveillance teams are always on the road. They are monitoring whether there are any irregularities,” he said.

BRTA data shows almost 16,000 long-haul buses run from Dhaka. Of those, 11,200 run on gas, and the rest on diesel.

The total number of buses in the country is 78,000. Of them, 46,800 run on gas, and the remaining 31,200 on diesel.

Besides, there are 3.51 lakh goods-carrying trucks and covered vans in the country, and almost all of them run on diesel.