Why the Secrecy in Fare Fixing? 

Speaking with several passengers in the Sayedabad area, it was learned that bus helpers are charging 10–15 taka more than before.

One passenger, Sajjadul Islam, said that the SSC examinations began today. He came to Jatrabari Ideal School with his son for the exam. Previously, the fare from Shonir Akhra was 10 taka, but now it is being charged at 15 taka. This led to arguments between passengers and bus conductors.

Extra fares are also being charged on long-distance buses. A passenger named Nur Nabi Mostafa complained that buses bound for Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, and Sylhet are charging 100 to 200 taka more than usual.

A driver of Trisha Paribahan said, “Fares for all types of public transport will go up. Since fuel prices have increased, fares will rise. We also have to wait a long time to get fuel, which causes us to miss our schedules.”

However, inquiries found that most public and long-distance buses in the capital run on CNG. Even so, many are trying to use fuel price hikes as an excuse to raise fares. Ordinary passengers often cannot tell which buses run on CNG and which run on diesel.

In recent days, fuel prices have been increased again. Currently, diesel is selling at 115 taka per liter, kerosene at 130 taka, octane at 140 taka, and petrol at 135 taka. Relevant stakeholders believe this is directly affecting the transport sector.

From early morning, buses on various routes in Dhaka were reportedly charging extra fares. In some places, disputes broke out between passengers and transport workers over the fare hikes. Passengers say increasing fares without any official decision is unreasonable and requires immediate government intervention.

According to those concerned, the fuel price increase has created instability in the public transport sector. Uncertainty over fare determination and weak field-level monitoring have caused suffering for ordinary people. Passengers are demanding a quick and reasonable decision to normalize the situation.