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Govt hikes bus fares

Fuel price spiral causes commotion all around

Staff Correspondent
The government last night increased bus fares amid a chaos in the capital and across the country as transport operators had been increasing fares feverishly earlier in the day, a day after the former had hiked prices of fuel oil by a huge margin.
The new rate of bus fare is Tk 1.05 a kilometre while the rate is Tk 1.08 for minibuses, according to a government handout distributed lastnight.
On Mawa and Paturia ferry terminal routes, bus fare was increased to Tk 1.08 a kilometre while for minibuses the fare was increased to Tk 1.11 per kilometre, said the handout adding, the new fare goes into effective immediately. But the government has yet to officially re-fix the fares of goods carrying motor vehicles and launches
Meanwhile, operators of all modes of transport were in a frenzy of increasing fares immediately after the government's announcement of increasing fuel oil prices, resulting in heated debates and scuffles between passengers and transport crews.
In the capital, bus fare went up by Tk 1 to Tk 5 on different city routes while (he increase was by Tk 50 to Tk 70 on inter-district routes all through the day yesterday. Passengers got into disputes with bus crews as they were charging extra since early morning yesterday at all bus and launch termi -nalsin the city.
Different socio-political organisations, however, condemned the hike in fuel oil prices, sayingthe increase will make life more difficult for the people.
The communication ministry held a meeting yesterday to increase bus fares. Chaired by the communication secretary, BRTA Chairman Sunil Kanti Boss, BRTC Chairman Shafiz Uddin Ahmed and other officials concerned were present at the meeting.
"The fare has been increased after a discussion with transport owners." added the government handout
But earlier in the day transport fares on different routes sty rocketed unabated as there was no governmentdirection
In the city, human-haulers, buses and minibuses including the CNG-run ones were charging 15 percent to 30 percent more than usual all through the day.
On Mirpur-Gulistan route, passengers locked in scuffles with bus crews as they asked for Tk 2 to Tk 5 more than the usual fare ofTk 12.
While passengers argued for waiting for a government decision, crews said they had no alternative to charging extra since the hiked up fuel prices had already been in effect.
The situation was the same on all routes throughout the day. The passengers, however, had no choice but to pay the extra amount.
Yesterday pick-up van operators were chargingTk 700 on Badamtoli to Keraniganj Aodullahpur route while the rate had beenTk600 on Sunday.
"You know that the price of diesel rose to Tk 55 from Tk 40. So we have to charge extra to maintain our business, said Akhter Hossain, a pick-up van operator. Some pick-van operators were charging up to Tk 100 more than the usual rate
At Sayedabad bus terminal, operators were charging Tk 10 to Tk 30 more than usual for inter-district local bus services. The operators said the hike would be more had there been a larger number of passengers around, which was rather low yesterday due to the inclement weather.
"We are charging extra because we had to buy fuel at a higher price,’ said Faruk Hossain, owner ofSKTYansport which operates on Dhaka-Hobiganj route.
Many passengers at the bus termi -nal expressed their dismay for paying unusually high fares. "We are paying 150 taka for going to Chittagong now, which was 130 taka last week." said Ainal Hossain, an NGO worker
The rates of unofficial increase in launch fares were higher than the rates of unofficial bus fare increase yesterday. On longer routes like Dhaka-Barisal and Dhaka-Patuakhali. launch operators were seen charging Tk 20 toTk 60 extra.
On Dhaka-Barisal route, passengers had to pay Tk 140 to Tk 160 for travelling on deck last evening which was Tk 100 to Tk 120 before.
Badiuzzaman Badal, acting chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport (passengers) Owners Association, told The Daily Star that the fare increase was not announced officially because the authorities had yet to approve their proposal for a 50 percent fare increase.
About charging extra without a government decision, he said. "The price hike of fuel oil is compelling us to do that."
At Gulistan bus terminal in the city, passengers and bus crews were seen brawling around 11:00am. A passenger pulled a ticket counter staff by the collar on Gulistan-Chittagong Highway route, resulting in a chaos for about h alf an hour.
Passengers alleged that bus operators were not only charging extra but also turned all local buses into nonstop direct ones to legitimise unusually high fares.
CNG-run human-hauler service, Rajdhani Paribahan, was also seen charging Tk 1 more than usual on a short route between Babubazar and Jurain. taking the opportunity of (he chaos in the city. They were charging Tk 7 instead of the usual fare ofTk 6.
In Lalmonirhat. all Dhaka-bound buses increased their fares by Tk 50 yesterday. The owners said they will hold a meeting today and might raise the fare byTk 70.
Bus operators charged extra in all districts yesterday.
Talking to reporters in Bangladesh Secretariat yesterday Communication Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader said transport fare hike should be logical, so that no injustice is done to passengers.
He assured the people of taking action against operators who will charge irrational fares.
Communication Secretary Malibu bur Rahman said the government will monitor the situation to check any sort of anarchy in the transport sector following the fuel oil pricenike.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad, after a law and order meeting in the home ministry yesterday, said his forces are on alert to tackle any chaos that might develop in the transport sector centring the price hike or fuel oil.
"We are keeping our eyes on the situation as we fear that an uproar might arise. Measures are there to face any unpleasant incident." (he police cnief told journalists after the meeting
He, however, said he had no information about any anarchic situation in the country since the government had hiked tne prices of Fuel oil on Monday night.
Finance and Planning Adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam said everywhere in the world anarchy usually sparks when oil prices are adjusted, and Bangladesh is no exception.
When his attention was drawn to the anarchy that had already gripped the nation, he said the communication ministry is looking into the matter.
"Government borrowing from banks would increase if we would not adjust the oil prices," he told reporters after a meeting on food planning in the food ministry.
Defending the price hike of fuel oil, Mirza Aziz said the move will also curb smuggling of petroleum products out ofthe country.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van Malik Samity proposed to the government, reductions in bridge tolls, motor vehicle taxes, and fees by 50 percent, so they could cope with tne price hike of fuel.
They also urged the government to cut duties on tires, tubes and other spare parts by 50 percent
Chairman of Bangladesh Bus-Truck Owners Association GM Siraj told The Daily Star yesterday that the government has no control over the transport sector.
About increasing fares, he said, "Since prices of oil went up, transport fares will automatically go up."
If the government fails to reach a decision regarding the matter, he fears 40 percent of transports will not operate today just to avoid chaos and to minimise operation cost
"Anarchy had already sparked due to price hike of fuel oil without re-fixing bus fares," said Executive President of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation Shahjahan Khanyesterday. 1