Hurried bus fare hike parks bitter fracas
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
FE Report
Most of the bus and minibus companies operating on the city's various routes have increased their transports' fare on Tuesday, the day after the government announced hiking it and making the increase effective from May 19 (Thursday). Passengers in Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi, Motijheel, Savar-Gabtoli and Mirpur areas alleged that the 'minimum bus fares' demanded by various companies ranged between Tk 12 and Tk 15 on the day. They said these bus owning companies, which have since last week been demanding Tk 8 as minimum fare, refused to accept the government declared fare leading to heated arguments involving passengers and ticket clerks. The buses demanding fares above the government-set limit include Mega City, Raja, Moitry, Malancha, Midway and Ark. The infuriated passengers alleged that they were forced to pay the minimum fare at Tk 12. "We have already been forced to pay Tk 8 only a few weeks back. Now they are demanding Tk 12," said Khandakar Sitabur Rahman, a regular passenger commuting from Mohammadpur to Shahbagh. T K Biswas, an engineer who travel by minibus regularly from Mohammadpur to Farmate, said the fare which was Tk 3 jumped to Tk 5 two weeks back. "But all on a sudden, the bus conductors began demanding Tk 6 today (Tuesday) warning us that we will have to pay Tk 7 as minimum fare from Thursday," he told the FE. Communications minister Syed Abul Hossain declared the revised bus-minibus fares after a meeting with transport operators including owners and workers on Monday taking a commitment from them that they will not increase the fares before the gazette notification is issued by Thursday. He also told journalists present at the meeting that the government would monitor the situation so that no hike is made by any bus company and right fares are claimed by them. Upon the journalists' query as to what actions would be taken against those who violate the government instruction, the minister said actions like cancelling route permits would be taken against those increasing the fares before gazette notificaion. According to the revised fares, per kilometre bus and minibus fares have been proposed at Tk 1.45 and Tk 1.55 respectively. It also suggested readjusting the fares of inter-district and long-haul diesel driven buses and minibuses at Tk 1.15, a hike from Tk 0.94. The minimum fare of passenger buses has been fixed at Tk 7, a two-taka hike from the previous Tk 5 of 2008.
Most of the bus and minibus companies operating on the city's various routes have increased their transports' fare on Tuesday, the day after the government announced hiking it and making the increase effective from May 19 (Thursday). Passengers in Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi, Motijheel, Savar-Gabtoli and Mirpur areas alleged that the 'minimum bus fares' demanded by various companies ranged between Tk 12 and Tk 15 on the day. They said these bus owning companies, which have since last week been demanding Tk 8 as minimum fare, refused to accept the government declared fare leading to heated arguments involving passengers and ticket clerks. The buses demanding fares above the government-set limit include Mega City, Raja, Moitry, Malancha, Midway and Ark. The infuriated passengers alleged that they were forced to pay the minimum fare at Tk 12. "We have already been forced to pay Tk 8 only a few weeks back. Now they are demanding Tk 12," said Khandakar Sitabur Rahman, a regular passenger commuting from Mohammadpur to Shahbagh. T K Biswas, an engineer who travel by minibus regularly from Mohammadpur to Farmate, said the fare which was Tk 3 jumped to Tk 5 two weeks back. "But all on a sudden, the bus conductors began demanding Tk 6 today (Tuesday) warning us that we will have to pay Tk 7 as minimum fare from Thursday," he told the FE. Communications minister Syed Abul Hossain declared the revised bus-minibus fares after a meeting with transport operators including owners and workers on Monday taking a commitment from them that they will not increase the fares before the gazette notification is issued by Thursday. He also told journalists present at the meeting that the government would monitor the situation so that no hike is made by any bus company and right fares are claimed by them. Upon the journalists' query as to what actions would be taken against those who violate the government instruction, the minister said actions like cancelling route permits would be taken against those increasing the fares before gazette notificaion. According to the revised fares, per kilometre bus and minibus fares have been proposed at Tk 1.45 and Tk 1.55 respectively. It also suggested readjusting the fares of inter-district and long-haul diesel driven buses and minibuses at Tk 1.15, a hike from Tk 0.94. The minimum fare of passenger buses has been fixed at Tk 7, a two-taka hike from the previous Tk 5 of 2008.