Woes spike amid higher vehicles fares in Chattogram

Commuters in Chattogram are facing increased hardships as transport shortages and higher fares disrupt travel across the city and surrounding upazilas. While many passengers blamed a fuel crisis for the situation, transport operators offered differing explanations.

On the first day of reopening after Eid-ul-Fitr, students, workers, and parents reported long waits for vehicles.

Visits to areas including Hamzar Bagh, 2 No Gate, Bahaddarhat, Muradpur, and Chawkbazar on 29 March found crowds of passengers waiting as the number of available vehicles remained below normal levels.

Safayet Hossain, a student at BGC Trust University Bangladesh, said, “There are fewer vehicles compared to the number of passengers. It is difficult to get transport. I had to wait a long time myself.”

Many passengers alleged that CNG-run auto-rickshaws and buses were charging up to double the usual fare, claiming the increases were due to a fuel crisis.

Fares on Kaptai Road, for instance, rose from Tk30–40 to Tk70–100, while trips from Raozan to Notunpara Amtola doubled from Tk20 to Tk40.

In southern Chattogram, fares from Karnaphuli to Anwara Chatori Chowmuhani rose from Tk100 to Tk200, and from Chatori Chowmuhani to Shah Amanat Bridge from Tk40 to Tk70–80.

Passengers said reserved trips were particularly expensive, often 1.5 to 2 times higher than usual.
Local residents reported similar conditions in Raozan, Hathazari, Anwara, Karnaphuli, Patiya, and Banshkhali, as well as within city limits.

Many attributed the fare hikes to a lack of monitoring and limited transport alternatives, which hit lower- and middle-income commuters the hardest.

Transport operators, however, offered a different perspective. CNG drivers said there was no fuel shortage but long queues at refueling stations had reduced their operational frequency, prompting slightly higher fares. Md Khorshed Alam, general secretary of the Chattogram-Rangamati Bus-Minibus Workers Union, said there were enough vehicles and that fares were being collected as fixed.

Mohammad Shahjahan, joint general secretary of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, noted that buses and minibuses had decreased by about 30 percent due to fuel access issues.

While fares officially remain unchanged, some drivers may be charging more.

He added that drivers now need to consider fuel availability before operating trips, contributing to the reduced number of vehicles on the roads.

The situation highlights ongoing challenges in Chattogram’s transport sector, where high passenger demand, operational constraints, and inconsistent fare practices continue to strain commuters across the city and nearby upazilas.