Bus owners propose 18–20 paisa per km fare hike after fuel price rise

Transport owners have proposed raising bus fares by 18 to 20 paisa per kilometre following the government’s decision to increase the prices of all types of fuel by Tk 20 per litre.

The proposal was submitted to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) at a meeting of the fare adjustment committee held on Monday evening at the BRTA headquarters in Banani, Dhaka. 

Owners recommended keeping the minimum fares unchanged at Tk 10 for buses and Tk 8 for minibuses.

ASM Ahmed Khokon, additional secretary general of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association, said the owners had earlier proposed a one-paisa fare increase per kilometre for every one-taka rise in fuel price. “Accordingly, with a Tk 20 per litre increase, the fare will rise by 20 paisa per kilometre,” he said.

Under the proposal, inter-district bus fares would rise from Tk 2.23 to Tk 2.43 per kilometre, while city bus fares would increase from Tk 2.53 to Tk 2.73 per kilometre.

Khokon said the recommendation would now be forwarded to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges for a final decision.

The government raised the prices of diesel, kerosene, petrol and octane by Tk 20 per litre each on Sunday. The new rates — diesel at Tk 135, kerosene at Tk 155, petrol at Tk 160 and octane at Tk 165 — took effect from Monday and mark the highest fuel prices in the country’s history.

Bus fares were last adjusted in April this year after a previous fuel price hike.