The National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways on Tuesday demanded that the proposed Dhaka-Bhanga train fare be reduced, at least by 40 per cent.
The National Committee President Mohammed Shahid Mia and its General Secretary Ashish Kumar Dey made the demand in a statement through a media release.
The statement said that the Dhaka-Bhanga proposed train fare is around 40 per cent higher than the standard bus fare.
In this case, general commuters will prefer buses to save costs and the train service could see fewer than expected passengers, the National Committee said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday inaugurated commercial train service on the Dhaka-Banga section via Padma Bridge. Passenger trains will start running on this route from November 1.
Referring to the railway as a state-owned service organisation, leaders of the National Committee said that governments of several countries including India provide subsidies in this sector to improve the quality of services and save people’s expenses. They expressed hope that, if necessary, the government will set a lower fare by subsidising the Dhaka-Bhanga train service.
According to the statement, Bangladesh Railway has proposed a fare of Tk 350 per person for intercity train (non-AC) and Tk 667 for an AC seat on the Dhaka to Bhanga route via Padma Bridge.
The proposal is awaiting approval of the Ministry of Railway. Non-AC and AC bus fares from Dhaka to Bhanga are Tk 250 and Tk 500 per person respectively.
