Dhaka: The bus fares in Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitan areas, as well as on inter-district routes, have been increased by 11 paisa per kilometre, announced Road Transport, Railways and Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam. This change was revealed at a press conference held at the Secretariat earlier today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the government has made this adjustment in response to recent fuel price hikes. Minister Alam stated that the new fares are effective immediately and indicated that fares will be adjusted in the future to reflect any further changes in fuel prices. Specifically, bus fares in Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitan areas have risen from Taka 2.42 to Taka 2.53 per kilometre.
For inter-district and long-distance routes, fares have been increased from Taka 2.12 to Taka 2.23 per kilometre. Additionally, within the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) area, the fare has been adjusted to Taka 2.43 from the previous Taka 2.32. Despite these increases, the minimum fares for buses and mini-buses in Dhaka and Chattogram cities will remain unchanged at Taka 10 and Taka 8, respectively.
Minister Alam explained that the Bus Fare Re-fixation Committee, led by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), had initially proposed a 22 paisa per kilometre increase. However, the government decided on an 11 paisa increase instead. The minister emphasized that this should not be viewed as a fare hike but rather an adjustment, adding that only 11 paisa will be added to the existing fares.
The ministry plans to issue a formal notification regarding the fare adjustment today. Minister Alam also warned that legal action will be taken against any parties charging fares higher than those set by the government.