Jatri Kalyan Samity demands withdrawal of increased bus fares
Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers' welfare platform, today demanded the withdrawal of increased fares of buses and minibuses as transport owners are not maintaining health guidelines to prevent coronavirus transmission.
Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, general secretary of the Jatri Kalyan Samity, made the demand in a press statement on Tuesday.
Public transport owners are not maintaining health guidelines set by the government as they are seen carrying passengers like they did before the pandemic hit, the statement said.
"Not only that, they're also charging fares higher than that fixed by the government, inflicting suffering on low-income and jobless people," it said.
On May 31, the government raised the bus and minibus fares of inter-district and long routes (Dhaka, Chittagong and adjoining areas) by 60 percent in order to compensate the bus owners as they are carrying 50 percent fewer passengers to maintain social distancing.
After the increase in bus fares, human haulers, auto-rickshaws and taxi-cab owners are also realising extra fares from passengers, the statement added.
The Jatri Kalyan Samity demanded that the government take necessary steps to withdraw the increased bus fares and revert to the previous rates.
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