News Desk :
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has increased the fare for long-haul buses by 22 per cent.
It also raised intra-city bus fares in Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitan by 16 per cent.
BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Majumder revealed the new rates after a closed-door meeting with bus owners at the BRTA office in Banani Saturday (6 August) and said they will be effective from Sunday.
As per the new fare, passengers will have to pay Tk2.50 per km in riding city buses and for long haul buses Tk2.20 per km.
“However, the lowest rate for intra-city buses will remain the same at Tk10,” said the BRTA chairman.
The decision came after the government on Friday increased fuel oil prices by 42.5 per cent to 51.6 per cent, the highest in 20 years, dealing a big blow to people already overwhelmed by skyrocketing prices of essential goods amid record inflation.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Division hiked diesel and kerosene prices by Tk34 per litre to Tk114 and octane and petrol prices by Tk46 per litre to Tk135.
Prices of diesel and kerosene were increased by Tk15 last November and fixed at Tk80 per litre. After the hike in diesel prices, bus fare was hiked by around 27 per cent, launch fares were hiked by 35 per cent.
In less than a year, fares for long-haul buses increased by 49 per cent and intra-city buses by 43 per cent.
