Covid-19: Govt committee proposes to hike bus fare by 60 percent

29 March 2021, 14:32 PM

UPDATED 30 March 2021, 04:57 AM

After the temporary shutdown was lifted, Sanir Akhra in the capital has been witnessing large crowds of commuters every morning, hopping on and off buses, without maintaining social distancing. Buses initially maintained regulations, like stopping at designated stands and carrying disinfectants inside the vehicles, but over the past few days even those are not being maintained. PHOTO: FIROZ AHMED

A special committee to fix public transport’s fare has proposed a 60 percent hike in bus fare, hours after the government directed all public modes of transport to operate on 50 percent of their capacity and maintain health safety guidelines.

A special committee to fix public transport's fare has proposed a 60 percent hike in bus fare, hours after the government directed all public modes of transport to operate on 50 percent of their capacity and maintain health safety guidelines.

The committee headed by Nur Mohammad Mazumder, chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), took the decision at an emergency meeting today.

For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.

It will send the proposal to the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry for approval now, Shitangshu Shekhar Biswas, director (engineering) of BRTA told The Daily Star.

The new fare rate would depend on the ministry's approval, he said.

The government today issued fresh directives to curb the fresh and sharp rise of Covid-19 cases in the country.

As per the directives, issued by the Prime Minister Office, public transports cannot carry passengers over 50 percent of their capacity.

To implement this particular directive, BRTA called the emergency meeting of the committee, which was attend by transport leaders, among others, sources said.

The government in June last year had hiked 60 percent bus fare when the operation of public transports was resumed after more than two months' suspension to curb Covid-19 spread.

But the authority reinstated the previous bus fare in September last year when the restriction was withdrawn.

Khondaker Enayet Ullah, secretary general of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, who took part in the meeting, said they have proposed either giving subsidies or hiking bus fare like before in light of the new directive.

Replying to another question, he said they would start implementing the government decision to use only 50 percent of their capacity after BRTA issues another circular in this regard once the fare-related issues is settled by the ministry.

A BRTA official said they hope the ministry would fix the fare rate within a day or two.