Move to increase bus fare on Ctg city route causes uproar

A section of transport leaders is going to increase public bus fare “arbitrarily” from tomorrow in the name of introducing counter bus service on a route in Chittagong city.

Chattagram Metropolitan Paribahan Malik Group is going to introduce the bus service initially on the road from Patenga Sea Beach to Kaptai Rastar Matha, stretching 22km, said its sources.

The minimum fare for the first three kilometres has been fixed at Tk 10 which is double than the present one.

Forty buses will ply primarily everyday under the name of “Metro Probhati”, they said.

The buses will not carry any passengers beyond their seating capacity, said the transport leaders, claiming that the service will be better.

The city dwellers expressed their resentment, terming the initiative “illegal” and “illogical”.

SM Nazer Hossain, vice president of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), said transport leaders cannot increase bus fare arbitrarily. They need approval from Regional Transport Committee (RTC) headed by the commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP), he added.

A similar initiative was taken some 10 years ago to provide better service by increasing fare, which did not continue, said Nazer, adding, but the increased fare remained unchanged.

Masudul Hasan, additional commissioner (traffic) of CMP, said the CMP commissioner temporarily permitted 20 buses to ply through counter service, adding, the final decision will come from the next RTC meeting in February.

He said there was no decision to increase fare.

Belayet Hossain Belal, secretary general of the group, said as the buses will provide better service, passengers will have to pay higher fare.

He claimed they were “verbally” permitted to do so.

Belal said a total of 22 counters will be set up on the 22km road.