Bus, truck owners demand fare hike
The Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association has demanded adjustment of bus and truck fares following the rise in diesel prices at the consumer level after fuel oil prices were reset in line with the global market.
On Sunday ,a proposal was put forward on behalf of the association to increase the fare per kilometre on long-distance buses from 2 taka 12 paisa to 4 taka 5 paisa.
The association’s Secretary General Md. Saiful Alam said that although the government has increased fuel prices, no gazette has been published regarding fare adjustment. As a result, owners have to purchase fuel at the higher price, but still have to collect fares at the previous rate.
He further said that compared to 2022, the cost of bus construction has increased significantly.
At that time, the price of a bus chassis was approximately 24 lakh taka, which has now risen to approximately 36 lakh taka. During the same period, the cost of body construction has increased from 11 lakh taka to approximately 20 lakh taka.
He also mentioned that as the interest rate on bank loans has risen from 9 percent to 13 percent, the pressure of instalments has also increased.
Saiful Alam further stated that after the fuel price hike in 2022, the government had adjusted the fares. At that time, the fare per kilometre was set at 2 taka 12 paisa, although owners had demanded 2 taka 80 paisa. After that, fares were not revised for a long time.
The owners association has claimed that in the current situation, it is not possible to operate transport unless the fare is at least 3 taka 50 paisa per kilometre.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Passengers Welfare Association has proposed increasing bus fare by 15 paisa per kilometre. The organisation made this demand in a press release on Sunday.
In the organisation’s press release, it was stated that capitalising on the rise in fuel oil prices, the government-backed influential leaders of the bus owners association are scheming to increase fares by following in the footsteps of the past fascist government.
They are conspiring with the government to increase fares monopolistically. Secret meetings held under cover of darkness to increase fares indicate such a conspiracy.
