Bus fares rise by 17 paisa per km after fuel price hike

Bus fares across Bangladesh will increase by 17 paisa per kilometre following the recent rise in fuel prices, officials decided on Tuesday.

The decision was taken during a meeting between the Ministry of Road Transport and transport owners. 

Under the new rates, the fare for long-distance buses will rise from Tk 2.23 to Tk 2.40 per kilometre. In the Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitan areas, the rate will increase from Tk 2.53 to Tk 2.70 per kilometre.

On Monday, bus owners’ associations had proposed a higher increase of 20 paisa per kilometre for long-distance routes and 18 poasa for city services to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).

Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Member of Parliament for Pabna-5 and chief coordinator of the Bangladesh Nationalist Sramik Dal’s central committee, said the government had calculated a 20-paisa rise but settled on 17 paisa “in the public interest.”

“The owners will finalise an agreement with the BRTA, and an official notification could be issued today,” he added.

The fare adjustment follows the government’s decision on Sunday to raise the prices of four fuels by Tk 20 per litre. The new rates took effect on Tuesday: diesel at Tk 135, kerosene at Tk 155, petrol at Tk 160 and octane at Tk 165 — the highest levels in the country’s history. Previous prices were Tk 115, Tk 135, Tk 140 and Tk 145 respectively.

ASM Ahmed Khokon, additional secretary general of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, said on Monday night that the association had proposed a 1-poisha fare increase for every Tk 1 rise in fuel price. On that basis, a Tk 20 fuel hike would have justified a 20-poisa fare rise, taking inter-district fares to Tk 2.43 and city fares to Tk 2.73.

“We have submitted our proposal to the BRTA. The BRTA will forward it to the ministry for a final decision,” he said.

Bus fares were last revised in April this year after an earlier fuel price increase. At that time, long-distance rates rose from Tk 2.12 to Tk 2.23, Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitan fares from Tk 2.42 to Tk 2.53, and DTCA-area minibus fares from Tk 2.32 to Tk 2.43.