It is expected that in the meeting with stakeholders for fixing the new fare rates, the government representatives would discuss these issues of arbitrarily oppressing the travelling people. The minister�s promise of charging the new fares fairly must be ensured with proper law enforcement

Regulating road transport fares

Before the government has settled the transport fare with the relevant stakeholders in the wake of declaration of new gas price, buses plying in the different routes are charging extra from the passengers. This is not only true in the different routes of the capital, but also in the highway routes. In many cases, passengers are getting involved in fights with the helpers of buses. The CNG auto-rickshaws that hardly go by meter and usually charge double or treble the actual fair from the passengers are also charging a substantially bigger amount on the excuse that they are now buying one cubic meter of CNG paying five taka more from the previous 30 taka.
But the Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Qader urged the owners of the various forms of transport not to increase the fare unless the matter is settled. He also said within September 10 this month, the new fair would be fixed and warned that action would be taken against the transporters who would charge extra fare before that time on the pretext of price rise of fuel. It was not only the minister, the transport owners’ association also urged the owners of the vehicles not to charge extra fare until the new fare rates are fixed.  
However, though we are getting news of buses charging unfair extra amounts, we have not so far heard that action has been taken against any bus operator. Now the question arises whether the minister spoke his words for the sake of mere speaking, or the transport owners’ association gave its order only to make a show.
However, there is another and the most important point. Now, within September 10 or after, when the government would finally fix the new fare rates after discussing the matter with the transport owners’
association as well as the consumers’ association, and that also to be proportionate with the increase in gas price, who would ensure that the transport operators would follow these  new fare rates?
In the capital one would hardly find a local bus charging a traveller in proportion to the actual distance he/she may travel. Say, for example, you want to come to Mahakhali from Agargaon, you have to pay the charge for the entire route from Mirpur 1 to Gulshan 1. In the name of so called ‘sitting’ or ‘gatelock’ service, passengers who are seated and those who go standing, all are uniformly charged the same fare.  It is expected that in the meeting with stakeholders for fixing the new fare rates, the government representatives would discuss these issues of arbitrarily oppressing the travelling people. The minister’s promise of charging the new fares fairly must be ensured with proper law enforcement.

It is expected that in the meeting with stakeholders for fixing the new fare rates, the government representatives would discuss these issues of arbitrarily oppressing the travelling people. The minister�s promise of charging the new fares fairly must be ensured with proper law enforcement

Regulating road transport fares

Before the government has settled the transport fare with the relevant stakeholders in the wake of declaration of new gas price, buses plying in the different routes are charging extra from the passengers. This is not only true in the different routes of the capital, but also in the highway routes. In many cases, passengers are getting involved in fights with the helpers of buses. The CNG auto-rickshaws that hardly go by meter and usually charge double or treble the actual fair from the passengers are also charging a substantially bigger amount on the excuse that they are now buying one cubic meter of CNG paying five taka more from the previous 30 taka. But the Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Qader urged the owners of the various forms of transport not to increase the fare unless the matter is settled. He also said within September 10 this month, the new fair would be fixed and warned that action would be taken against the transporters who would charge extra fare before that time on the pretext of price rise of fuel. It was not only the minister, the transport owners association also urged the owners of the vehicles not to charge extra fare until the new fare rates are fixed. However, though we are getting news of buses charging unfair extra amounts, we have not so far heard that action has been taken against any bus operator. Now the question arises whether the minister spoke his words for the sake of mere speaking, or the transport owners association gave its order only to make a show. However, there is another and the most important point. Now, within September 10 or after, when the government would finally fix the new fare rates after discussing the matter with the transport owners association as well as the consumers association, and that also to be proportionate with the increase in gas price, who would ensure that the transport operators would follow these new fare rates? In the capital one would hardly find a local bus charging a traveller in proportion to the actual distance he/she may travel. Say, for example, you want to come to Mahakhali from Agargaon, you have to pay the charge for the entire route from Mirpur 1 to Gulshan 1. In the name of so called sitting or gatelock service, passengers who are seated and those who go standing, all are uniformly charged the same fare. It is expected that in the meeting with stakeholders for fixing the new fare rates, the government representatives would discuss these issues of arbitrarily oppressing the travelling people. The ministers promise of charging the new fares fairly must be ensured with proper law enforcement.