Launch fares increase 30%

Passengers on waterways will have to pay 30 per cent more to travel on inland routes as the Ministry of Shipping on Tuesday increased the fare following a hike in fuel prices.

Launch fare is increased to Tk 3 per kilometre from Tk 2.30 for the first 100km distance and Tk 2.60 for each kilometre afterwards, which was earlier Tk 2, said to a shipping ministry notification.

The minimum fare is now Tk 33 which was earlier Tk 25. The new fare already came into effect on Tuesday.

Earlier on August 7, the launch owners sent a letter to the government demanding to increase the fare by 100 per cent, though diesel price was increased by 42.5 per cent. They wanted to fix the fare at Tk 4.60 per kilometre for the first 100km distance and Tk 4.00 for each kilometre after 100km.

The Ministry of Shipping later sat with the launch owners to discuss the issues and turned down their demand to increase the fair by 100 per cent terming it unreasonable.

The ministry then formed a committee to adjust the fare reasonably so that the burden on passengers remains affordable. The committee then submitted their findings and based on that the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) proposed the fare.

The revised fare has been fixed based on an assessment of the committee and discussion with the owners, said Shipping Secretary Md Mostafa Kamal.

On August 5, the government increased fuel prices amid the volatility in the global market. Diesel and kerosene retail prices were fixed at Tk 114 per litre while octane at Tk 135 a litre and petrol at Tk 130 per litre.

Following the fuel price hike, on August 6, the government increased long-haul bus fares by 22 per cent from Tk 1.8 per km to Tk 2.2, while the bus fares in Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitans were increased by 16.27 per cent from Tk 2.15 per km to Tk 2.5.