A writ petition was filed with the High Court on Monday challenging the legality of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority’s (BRTA) notification that raised the bus fare by 60 per cent for the period of the coronavirus pandemic.
Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed the petition on behalf of a Rights Organization, Law and Life Foundation, saying that the decision of increasing the bus fare is
violation of fundamental rights of the public described in the Constitution of the Republic.
In the petition, the lawyer prayed to the High Court to issue a rule asking the respondents to explain as to why the notification issued by the BRTA increasing 60 per cent of the current bus and minibus fare unreasonably should not be declared illegal.
He also prayed to the court to stay the operation of the notification issued by the BRTA increasing bus and minibus fare till disposal of the case in order to uphold the prevailing public interest in this coronavirus pandemic and to meet the emergent situation.
Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and Chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority have been made respondents in the writ petition. The lawyer said that the High Court might hear the petition on Tuesday.
The fare hike was announced through a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges on Sunday, in response to a demand of the transport owners as they will have to keep 50 per cent seats vacant to prevent spread of the virus.
The increased fare will be applicable for both city and long-distance routes. The revised fare will be effective from June 1 and will remain applicable only for the period of Covid-19 pandemic, the notification also read.
