Quader warns against realising extra bus fare

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday warned that legal actions would be taken if any transport charges additional fare from the passengers.

He issued the warning at a press conference at his official residence here.

Quader, also the Awami League general secretary, said due to diesel price hike, a decision was taken at a meeting with the stakeholders concerned, including transport owners-workers, at Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) on Saturday to adjust the fares of diesel-powered buses and minibuses, where the secretary of the ministry and the BRTA chairman were present.

A notification has already been issued to this end, he said, hoping that the people involved in transport sector would maintain discipline, like in the past, considering the public interest.

According to the notification issued today, the maximum fare per passenger per kilometre is fixed at Tk 2.20 instead of Tk 1.80 for buses and minibuses plying on inter-district and long-distance routes, while Tk 2.50 instead of Tk 2.15 for buses plying in Dhaka and Chattogram cities.

Maximum fare per passenger per kilometre is fixed at Tk 2.4 instead of Tk 2.05 for minibuses operating in Dhaka and Chattogram city areas and buses and the buses running within the areas (Narayanganj, Munsginj, Narsangidi, Gazipur, Mankiganj and Dhaka district) under Dhaka Transport Coordinating Authority (DTCAC).

Besides, minimum bus fare is fixed at Tk 10 in Dhaka and Chattogram cities, while minimum minibus fare is Tk 8.

This new adjusted fares will not be applicable for gas-powered motor vehicles and the list of fare rate must be posted on visible places on every bus and minibus, the notification said.

Earlier on the day, the minister told reporters at his official residence that the government was compelled to increase fuel prices in the country due to the abnormal price hike in international market.

“The government will adjust fuel prices again if its prices fall in the international market,” he said.

Quader said the fuel price became volatile in international market due to Russia-Ukraine war, affecting the exchange rate of local currency against the US dollar. That is why, he said, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has to incur a huge loss.

He said as the fuel prices were high in neighbouring countries, there was the concern of fuel smuggling from Bangladesh to these countries.

Quader said as a result of fuel price hike in the world market, the BPC incurred a loss of about Tk 9,000 crores from February 22 to July 22 this year and in this context, the government was forced to adjust the fuel price.

Highlighting the existing fuel prices in different countries, he said the diesel price per litre is Tk 112.56 in Myanmar, while Tk 114 in India, Tk 117.49 in Sri Lanka, Tk 122.8 in UAE, Tk 127.82 in Nepal, Tk 189.78 in Singapore and Tk 260.75 in Hong Kong.

The AL general secretary said the government adjusted the fuel price in last November, while it decreased diesel price on April 25 in 2016 due to its price fall in international market.

The government will adjust the fuel price in the country if its price goes down in international market in the future, he said.

“It is true that the fuel price hike puts impacts on different sectors of economy. Taking the matter into the account, the government is trying to remain its negative impacts at lower levels,” Quader said.

The government is considering increasing the scope of various support programmess in important sectors, including agriculture, and improving life standard of low-income people, he said.