Syed Shemul Parvez :
Anarchy has been created massively in the transport sector as most of the buses on the city roads were charging extra fare defying the instruction of the government.
Although there was relief in getting the bus on the road after the transport strike was called off, ordinary passengers were angry at the sudden decision to increase the fare.
According to the irritated passengers, the bus fare has been increased this time amid the rise in daily essential commodities. They also think this sudden decision is unreasonable.
Experts fear that this decision will create a big problem in the price of daily commodities. They also think that it should have taken more time to increase the price of diesel and kerosene.
Earlier, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Chairman Nur Mohammad Majumder told the media that the fare of CNG-powered buses will not be increased. But it was seen on the spot that all the gas-run buses became oil-run buses within just a night.
It was seen on the spot that the bus fare from Gulistan to Farmgate in the capital was Tk 10 earlier but now it is being taken at Tk 15 to 20.
When asked behind the reason of charging extra fare, bus contractors and helpers said that the bus owners asked them to take this fare. A new fare chart will be posted tomorrow, one of the helpers said.
A victim passenger named Faruque Hossain, resident of Old Dhaka, told The New Nation that if the anarchy in transport sector goes on, we won’t have any option but to die. The bus fare has been increased this time amid the rise in daily essentials. Shosill Chowdury, an inhabitant of city’s Sankor area, used to come to his Motijheel office paying only taka 20 as fare by Midline bus. On Monday, he had to pay Tk 30 in the same bus due to increase the transport fare.
In the long route, bus fares have increased by 27 per cent and in metropolitan areas by 26.5 per cent. The fare of passenger launches has also been increased by 35 per cent due to the increase in diesel price. As a result, the fare has been increased by 60 paisa per kilometer.
According to the new decision, if the fare of CNG-powered buses is not increased, fare of about 95 percent buses plied in Dhaka city will not be increased.
Sources said that out of 12,526 buses in the capital, around 11,900 buses run on liquefied natural gas. Besides, out of 16,000 long distance buses from Dhaka, 11,200 buses run on gas. The remaining 4,800 run by diesel.
Now the question is, if the fare of CNG-powered buses is not increased according to the new decision, then the fare of 95 per cent buses in Dhaka city and 70 per cent long-distance buses cannot be increased.
