Bangladesh Raises Bus Fares by 17 Paisa per Kilometre After Fuel Price Increase

DHAKA:

Bus fares across Bangladesh, including long-distance and urban routes, will rise by 17 paisa per kilometre following an increase in fuel prices, according to a decision reached at a meeting of the Road Transport Ministry on Tuesday.

The increase is lower than the rates proposed by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), which had recommended a 20-paisa-per-kilometre increase for intercity buses and 18 paisa for urban services.

Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, a member of parliament from Pabna-5 and chief coordinator of the central committee of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, said the government’s calculation supported a 20-paisa increase. However, officials decided to reduce the adjustment by 3 paisa per kilometre in consideration of passengers.

New fares to apply nationwide

Biswas said bus operators would meet with the BRTA to formalise the revised fares. The 3-paisa reduction from the proposed rate will apply to routes in metropolitan areas as well as district-level services, he said.

A government notification formalising the new fares could be issued as early as Tuesday.

Biswas also warned against operators charging higher fares before the revised rates officially take effect.

“Even a one-paisa increase adds to the burden on passengers,” he said, adding that transport owners’ associations would take disciplinary action against operators found collecting fares above the approved rates. Administrative authorities would also monitor compliance.

Current fares before the latest adjustment

The latest decision follows an earlier increase in bus fares after diesel prices were raised by 15 taka per litre in April. At that time, bus fares were increased by 11 paisa per kilometre.

Before Tuesday’s decision, fares in Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitan areas stood at 2.53 taka per kilometre for buses and 2.42 taka for minibuses.

For long-distance services, the fare for a 52-seat bus was 2.23 taka per kilometre.

Actual passenger costs can be higher on some long-distance services. Many non-air-conditioned buses have reduced their seating capacity to 40 or fewer passengers, resulting in comparatively higher fares. Road and bridge tolls may also be added to the cost of a journey.

Route-wise fares to be recalculated

The 17-paisa increase will require fares for both urban and long-distance routes to be recalculated. The total increase for passengers will vary according to the distance of each route and the applicable fare structure.

Transport authorities are expected to issue the revised schedule through an official notification. Enforcement will be important to ensure that operators do not charge passengers above the newly approved rates once the adjustment takes effect.