Bus fares overshoot govt-fixed rates
FE Report | Thursday, 3 July 2008
The diesel-run buses and trucks and petrol-operated three wheelers (Mishuks) are charging fares more than the ones fixed by the government following the latest increase in fuel oil prices.
On the spot visits by this correspondent Wednesday revealed that the bus operators in the city are charging fares 25 to 30 per cent more than that re-fixed by the government a day earlier.
Similarly, truck and covered-van owners across the country have started charging 40-50 per cent more than the previous fares for transporting goods, leading to hike in the prices of different commodities.
Following the price hike of fuel oils, the communications ministry re-fixed the fares of diesel-run buses across the country. The per-kilometre fare for buses has been fixed at Tk 1.05 which was Tk0.87 earlier. And the per-kilometre fare for mini-buses has been fixed at Tk 1.08 replacing the previous rate of Tk 0.90.
"The government has re-fixed fares unilaterally. We cannot support it," President of the Bangladesh Bus-Track Owners' Association GM Siraj told the FE Wednesday.
"We have told our association members to operate their buses on the road the way they like," he said.
A passenger of the city's Mohammadpur-Motijheel route Wednesday said: "The Rajdhani Express increased its fare when the price of CNG was adjusted upward some days ago. Today, the bus company raised its fair again just after the increase in oil prices."
GM Siraj said, "We will face losses if we implement the bus fares re-fixed by the government as prices of spare parts, tyres and other items have gone up in the local and international markets.
"The truck fare on the Dhaka-Rajshahi route was between Tk 6000 and Tk 7000 before oil price hike. Now the truck owners are charging Tk 9000-Tk 10,000 for carrying rice," a rice wholesaler in the city's Babubazar said.
Meanwhile, the launch owners are also demanding higher fares due to the oil price hike.
Monirul Islam Manik, the owner of the MV Anchal-a Barisal-bound launch, said: "The owners of the launches plying on different routes will sit to re-fix their fares. Then they will submit their proposals to the government demanding higher fares."
He said the launch owners have not increased their fares so far.
On the spot visits by this correspondent Wednesday revealed that the bus operators in the city are charging fares 25 to 30 per cent more than that re-fixed by the government a day earlier.
Similarly, truck and covered-van owners across the country have started charging 40-50 per cent more than the previous fares for transporting goods, leading to hike in the prices of different commodities.
Following the price hike of fuel oils, the communications ministry re-fixed the fares of diesel-run buses across the country. The per-kilometre fare for buses has been fixed at Tk 1.05 which was Tk0.87 earlier. And the per-kilometre fare for mini-buses has been fixed at Tk 1.08 replacing the previous rate of Tk 0.90.
"The government has re-fixed fares unilaterally. We cannot support it," President of the Bangladesh Bus-Track Owners' Association GM Siraj told the FE Wednesday.
"We have told our association members to operate their buses on the road the way they like," he said.
A passenger of the city's Mohammadpur-Motijheel route Wednesday said: "The Rajdhani Express increased its fare when the price of CNG was adjusted upward some days ago. Today, the bus company raised its fair again just after the increase in oil prices."
GM Siraj said, "We will face losses if we implement the bus fares re-fixed by the government as prices of spare parts, tyres and other items have gone up in the local and international markets.
"The truck fare on the Dhaka-Rajshahi route was between Tk 6000 and Tk 7000 before oil price hike. Now the truck owners are charging Tk 9000-Tk 10,000 for carrying rice," a rice wholesaler in the city's Babubazar said.
Meanwhile, the launch owners are also demanding higher fares due to the oil price hike.
Monirul Islam Manik, the owner of the MV Anchal-a Barisal-bound launch, said: "The owners of the launches plying on different routes will sit to re-fix their fares. Then they will submit their proposals to the government demanding higher fares."
He said the launch owners have not increased their fares so far.