Noman Mosharef :
The government has announced a set of new restrictions in order to check the expansion of the corona. The guidelines are that bus, launch and train will operate with half of capacity in a bid to contain the surge in Covid-19 cases in the country which will be effective from January 13.
In this circumstance, Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, an organisation working for passengers’ right, urged the transport owners not to increase the vehicles and vessel’s fares.
At the same time this organisation also asked to foil any kind of conspiracy to increase transport fares.
Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity urged it at a press note send to media signed by its secretary general Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, after the decision that buses and launches will have to operate with half capacity might push up the fares again. The owners have already hinted that.
The government in March 2020 and April 2021 imposed restrictions on carrying passengers in buses, trains and launches. At that time, bus and launch fares were increased by 60 per cent on condition that they would carry 50 per cent their capacities.
The previous experience was bitter as bus helper and conductor have tussled over the extended fares as vehicles had carried more passengers than 50 per cent limit.
Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury said in Covid-19 pandemic the passengers of the transports have been decreased around the world. Few nations like our close neighbour India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Malaysia did not increase transports fare after caring half of capacity.
He also suggested to operate the vehicles by following ‘as much as capacity’ policy.
Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity secretary said the increasing of transports fare will put extra burden on the lower and middle income people whereas they are exhausted to maintain their family as the daily commodities rates are skyrocketing.
If the transports fare increase, it will consider as flogging a dead horse and a man/woman travelling by public transports, he added.
On the other hand, Khondaker Enayet Ullah, Secretary General of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, said it would be difficult to operate buses with 50 per cent passengers without increasing bus fare by 50 to 60 per cent.
Badiuzzaman Badal, senior vice president of Bangladesh Inland Waterways (passenger carrier’s) Association, said, “We asked the authorities to talk to us before implementing any decisions.”
The bus and launch fares were raised 28 per cent and 43 per cent respectively in November last year after the government increased diesel and kerosene prices by Tk 15 a litre.
