With the country witnessing a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases and deaths, authorities concerned have imposed restrictions on carrying passengers in buses, trains and launches.

Buses and minibuses are going to charge 60 percent more than the existing fare from today on condition that they would carry 50 percent passengers of their capacities and maintain necessary health safety guidelines.

Bangladesh Railway yesterday started selling half the tickets of a train's capacity. However, it may take a few days to start operation with 50 percent passengers as many advance tickets up to April 4 have already been sold.

Launch owners have also been directed to carry 50 percent passengers on the deck from yesterday. However, launch and train fares would remain the same.

The government on Monday issued the new directives to curb the fresh and sharp rise of Covid-19 cases in the country.

As per the directives, issued by the Prime Minister's Office, public transport cannot carry passengers over 50 percent of the capacity.

Inter-district transport has to be limited to areas with higher infections, has to be suspended entirely if necessary, the directives said.

The new bus fare would be applicable for next two weeks unless the government issues any further directives, officials said yesterday.

The government took similar measures last year to contain the spread of the pandemic. But there were allegations against bus and launch owners of operating over 50 percent capacity at that time.

A passenger's platform said it would be difficult to implement the decision of carrying 50 percent passengers in buses, especially city buses, while most offices, companies and factories are still open.

"The decision would rather increase passengers' sufferings," Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, told The Daily Star yesterday.

BUS SERVICE

A special committee to fix public transport's fare proposed a 60 percent hike in bus fares on Monday and sent it to the road transport and bridges ministry.

The committee, led by Nur Mohammad Mazumder, chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, made the decision at an emergency meeting when transport owners proposed either giving subsidies or increasing bus fare like before in light of the new directives.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said 60 percent hike in bus fare will come into effect from today on condition that buses carry 50 percent passengers and follow the health safety guidelines.

The minister said this at a regular media briefing from his residence.

The hike in the fare will be applicable for a certain period and the previous one will be reinstated once the coronavirus situation is under control, he added.

The government in June last year increased bus fares by 60 percent when operation of public transport resumed after more than two months' suspension to curb the Covid-19 infections.

But authorities reinstated the previous bus fare in September last year when the restriction was withdrawn.

The government last increased the inter-district bus fares in May 2016 at Tk 1.42 a kilometre.

With the new hike, for example, it will cost a passenger Tk 700 (excluding tolls) to travel to Barishal from the capital's Gabtoli via Faridpur. The existing fare is Tk 438.

Bus fares on routes inside the capital were last increased in September 2015 at Tk 1.70 a km.

Now, one has to pay Tk 53 instead of Tk 33 to travel to the Mirpur Zoo from Notre Dame College.

Contacted, BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad yesterday said they already sent copies of a letter to transport leaders, divisional commissioners and authorities concerned to execute the new directives.

TRAIN, LAUNCH SERVICES

Bangladesh Railway yesterday started selling 50 percent of available tickets, its Director General Dhirendra Nath Mazumder told this correspondent.

BR headquarters has given necessary instructions in this regard, he said.

However, it may take a few days to implement the government instructions to maintain 50 percent occupancy because many advance tickets have already been sold, said BR officials.

Half of the 50 percent tickets will be sold at counters and the rest online, said Jahangir Hossain, general manager (east) of BR. They may consider selling all tickets online if the Covid-19 situation worsens further, he added.

Ticket price will remain the same, he added.

Mihir Kanti Guha, general manager (west) of BR, said many advance tickets have already been sold, so it may take a few days to fully execute the decision of carrying 50 percent passengers of the capacity.

The BR also took similar steps last year.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Chairman Commodore Golam Sadeq said as per the government's directives, they instructed the launch owners not to take passengers at more than 50 percent of their capacities on deck.

Passengers using the cabin usually maintain health safety guidelines, so the restriction was not imposed on launch cabins, he added.

"They [launch owners] have been instructed to implement it from today [Tuesday]. We will take action if they fail," he told this paper yesterday. Launch fare will also remain the same, he added.