CNG buses continue to charge higher fare

CNG bus staffs sell tickets to passengers at different stoppages in the city. The picture was taken from Motijheel area recently.Photo: STAR

Most CNG bus operators in the city continue to charge passengers higher fare ignoring the government-approved rate, causing suffering to commuters.
In April 2008, the government fixed the fare after the price hike of compressed natural gas (CNG). For buses, the rate was fixed at Tk 1.20 per kilometre and for minibuses, the rate was Tk 1.10. And the minimum fare was fixed at Tk 5.
But most CNG buses are not following the government-approved fare chart. They are charging a rate much higher than the government-fixed rate, passengers said, adding that the extra amount is as high as Tk 5.
Most buses also charge Tk 8 in minimum fare instead of Tk 5.
Monirul Islam, a resident of Mirpur section 12 who works as a sales person in Farmview Super Market, said, "When I travel from Mirpur 12 to Farmgate, the fare is Tk 10. But if I get off at an earlier bus stop such as Shewrapara, they still charge a flat rate of Tk 10 regardless of the distance. The distance between Mirpur and Shewrapara is half the distance to Farmgate."
The tickets provided by the operators show the distance and the approved rate in a bid to convince the passengers. But the reality is that the fare applies to commuters travelling from the first bus stop to its last stop. Bus operators are charging all, including those getting off at any bus stops in between, a flat rate, ignoring the government-approved rate.
According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Farmgate is about 9 km away from Mirpur section 12 while Shewrapara is only 4.4km away.
For a distance of 7.5 km from Motijheel Shapla roundabout to Farmgate, the fare is Tk 10 to Tk 12. But the same amount is being collected for a trip to Shahbagh, which is 5.2 km from Motijheel.
From Abdullahpur to Mahakhali, the distance is 12.5km and the bus fare is Tk 15. The rate remains the same even someone wants to go to Khilkhet, which is 5.8km away from Abdullahpur.
The situation remains the same on all the routes in and around the city. Currently there are 7,367 buses and minibuses operating on 157 routes.
"This type of practice by bus operators is causing suffering to us, but sometimes we are just happy to get on a bus considering the chaotic traffic situation these days," said Abu Taher, a resident of Mohammadi Housing Ltd in Mohamadpur.
Another unfair practice by local buses is causing confusion among passengers. During the rush hour in the morning and in the afternoon, many local buses run as direct service in the name of 'sitting service' or 'gate-lock service' while they again become local buses at other times of the day.
They even charge extra fare in the morning, passengers alleged.
BRTA, however, said there is no permission for buses to run as 'sitting' or 'gate-lock' services in the city considering the huge rush of commuters and the limited number of buses.
ABM Shahjahan, executive director of Dhaka Transport Coordination Board and also the head of the 2008 committee formed by the communication ministry to fix the fare, told The Daily Star that the transport owners agreed to follow the fare chart when it was fixed last year.
"When the rate was fixed, we also considered some parameters, including the price of the bus, number of daily trips, number of seats, mileage and longevity of the bus," he said.
"These factors were considers so that they can have a good profit margin. The owners also agreed to the rate and conditions. There is no reason for them now to collect extra fare from the passengers," he added.
BRTA Magistrate Md Tofael Islam said the department cannot enforce the fare due to manpower shortage. The Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1983 does not have enough provisions to punish the offenders, he added.
There are options to cancel the route permit of the offenders, said a BRTA official on condition of anonymity.
However, it takes a long time to complete the departmental procedure, giving the bus companies the chance to carry on unlawful act, he said, adding that BRTA mobile court also focuses mainly on fitness of vehicles.
Admitting the fact, Khandakar Rafiqul Hossain Kajal, president of the Association of Bus Company (ABC), said, "The operating cost of bus services, including spare parts, has increased tremendously compared to last year. The number of daily trips also decreased 50 percent because of terrible traffic jams."
"There is also a hefty amount of bank loan plus interest to be paid every year. Many owners have gone bankrupt in recent times," he said.
He also demanded review of the fare chart considering the current situation.