Passengers are facing charges well above the government-announced bus fare adjustments, with complaints of overcharging reaching alarming levels.
The government has announced an increase of 11 paisa per kilometre – a 5 per cent rise for both metropolitan and domestic routes citing the recent fuel price hike. On Thursday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam announced the fare increase.
Yet, even before this announcement, fare hikes had already been observed on several routes, with increases as high as 64 paisa per kilometre in the capital and 60 paisa for inter-city routes.
For example, on the Dhaka Mohammadpur to Mirpur route, the fare was raised from Tk40 to Tk50, marking a 25 per cent increase and a hike of 64 paisa per kilometre. This increase exceeds the government’s prescribed rise, leaving passengers in disbelief.
One commuter, Al Mamun, shared his frustration with TIMES of Bangladesh, saying, “When fuel prices go down, the fares don’t go down. This shows the arbitrariness of the transport owners’ association.”
Similarly, buses of Poristan and Projapoti services on routes from Mohammadpur’s Basila to Abdullahpur in Uttara have seen fare hikes of up to Tk10, far exceeding what was officially sanctioned.
The government’s stern warnings have yet to yield visible results. Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam said, “If bus owners try to defy this decision, a firm stand and stringent actions will be taken against them.”
Criticising the government’s inaction, Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association General Secretary Mozammel Haque Khan said, “This has happened before, and every time the ministers say action will be taken, but nothing ever happens.”
The price of diesel increased by Tk15 per litre following the global spike caused by the war in Iran, raising the cost of 1 litre of diesel from Tk100 to Tk115. This change mirrors the 2022 price surge at Tk114 per litre, when the government set bus fares in line with fuel price hikes but failed to reduce them when the fuel prices fell.
Despite multiple reductions in diesel prices since then, the fare reductions have been minimal, often as little as 2-3 paisa per kilometre, and have failed to materialise fully in many cases.
What is the govt’s decision?
According to the announcement by the road transport minister, bus and minibus fares in Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitan areas have increased from Tk2.42 to Tk2.53 per kilometre.
For long-distance routes, bus fares have risen from Tk2.12 to Tk2.23 per kilometre. In areas surrounding Dhaka, the fare has increased from Tk2.32 to Tk2.43 per kilometre.
This means that the fare for city transport has risen by 4.5 per cent, while long-distance bus fares have gone up by 5.1 per cent.
The new fare for long-distance buses was announced based on a 51-seat capacity. If the number of seats is reduced for passenger comfort, the fare can be increased proportionally.
Passengers struggling with high fares
For the route from Mohammadpur to Abdullahpur, bus owners have increased the fare from Tk60 to Tk70, a nearly 17 per cent increase.
According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority chart, the distance for this route is 25 kilometres, and the fare should be Tk63. This means passengers are being overcharged by Tk7, something that wasn’t the case previously. In fact, with the announced fare increase, the fare should actually have decreased.
On the Mohammadpur to Dhupkhola route, Maloncho Transport used to charge Tk40, but now the fare has risen to Tk45, an increase of Tk5 or 12.5 per cent.
According to the BRTA chart, the distance for this route is 14.5 kilometres, and the new fare should be Tk37. Previously, passengers were overcharged by Tk5, and now they are being overcharged by Tk8.
Fare hikes on Dhaka-Barishal
Even before the government’s official fare announcement, extra charges were being collected on the Dhaka-Barishal route.
According to sources, in the route fares have increased by Tk50 to Tk100, depending on the operator. On domestic routes, fares have been raised by Tk10 to Tk25. Similarly, launch fares have gone up, ranging from Tk100 to Tk600, depending on the type.
Bus owners have admitted that they began increasing fares from Wednesday. Meanwhile, launch operators argue that they are charging the same fares set by the previous government, claiming they were previously charging less.
At the Nothullabad bus terminal in Barishal, buses from at least 10 companies, including Sakura, Hanif, Labiba, Ena, BMF, and Shyamoli, depart for Dhaka. The fare for the 165-kilometre route was previously between Tk500 and Tk550, but it is now being charged at Tk600.
This means that those who raised the fare by Tk50 have increased it by 30 paisa per kilometre, while those who raised the fare by Tk100 have increased it by 60 paisa per kilometre.
A passenger named Saiful Islam said, “They already raised the fare by 60 paisa per kilometre. But what has the government done? They never do anything.”
For buses that have reduced their seating capacity from 51 to 40 seats, they can charge a fare of Tk2.72 per kilometre, excluding tolls, according to the regulations. At this rate, the fare can be Tk450. Additionally, for large buses, tolls for crossing the Padma Bridge (Tk2,400) and the Expressway (Tk550) will bring the total fare to a maximum of Tk525.
Buses that were already overcharging by Tk25 will now increase their fares by Tk75.
However, the transport company staff does not seem to follow these calculations.
Anisur Rahman, the manager of Sakura Transport’s Barishal counter, said, “We have increased the fare by Tk50. This has resulted in an increase of 30 paisa per kilometre.”
When asked why the increase was made before the official announcement, he replied, “The fuel price has gone up, so we increased the fare. There was no need for an official announcement.”
