HC upholds govt decision to hike bus fare by 60pc
The High Court yesterday upheld the government decision to increase bus fares by 60 percent.
The court passed "no order" on a writ petition that challenged legality of the gazette notification issued by the government hiking bus fares.
The bench of Justice JBM Hassan made the decision after hearing on the petition through video conference.
The "no order" means that the government notification will remain in force, Deputy Attorney General Samarendranath Biswas told The Daily Star.
During hearing, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam vehemently opposed the writ petition, saying buses have to carry passengers half their capacity due to coronavirus.
Besides, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority has been empowered to decide on increasing bus fares as per the Road Transport Act, 2108, and therefore, there was no illegality in issuing such a gazette notification.
Barrister Humayun Kabir Pallob appeared for the writ petitioner. Law and Life Foundation, a rights organisation, on June 1 filed the writ petition with the HC challenging the government's decision to increase bus fares.
Citing the petition, Barrister Humayun Kabir Pallob, chairman of Law and Life Foundation, told The Daily Star that the middle class and low middle class people mostly use bus and minibus for transport. They cannot bear the earlier scheduled bus fares properly, let alone the increased ones, he said, adding that they are facing serious financial crisis due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Barrister Pallob said the government decision to increase bus fares is contradictory to the fundamental rights of the people and also illegal.
The government on May 31 issued a gazette notification increasing fares of all buses, including inter-district ones, by 60 percent as the vehicles are allowed to carry half passengers of the total seats to maintain physical distance.
The notification said fares for long routes will be increased by 60 percent on the existing rate (Tk 1.42 per km).
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