Bus fares rise on 15 southwestern routes
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) yesterday raised the bus fare for 15 routes via the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga Expressway as part of the government's plan to monetise the country's first expressway.
From today, the road authority will impose a toll on vehicles for using the 55-kilometre-long expressway, formally known as Jatir Pita Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Highway.
For 40-seater buses, the fare, which will come into action from today, has been increased by Tk 31 to Tk 66.
The fare has also been refixed for 51-seater buses, but the rate could not be known immediately. The total fare for a 51-seater bus would be relatively lower than the 40-seater bus.
This will be the second time in a month that the authorities have increased the bus fare.
Earlier on June 8, the BRTA raised the bus fare on 13 routes by Tk 10-11 to incorporate the toll for Padma bridge, which opened to traffic on June 26. Later, the authorities reset the fare for two more routes.
Of the 15 routes whose fare rates were re-set yesterday, 12 are from Dhaka's Sayedabad to different southwest destinations while three are from Chattogram and Cox's Bazar via Dhaka, according to BRTA officials.
As per the new rate, the fare for a 40-seater bus travelling from Dhaka to Barishal via Bhanga would be Tk 454, which is Tk 33 more than the previous rate.
The highest increase was seen on the Dhaka-Kuakata route via Barishal, Patuakhali: by Tk 66 to Tk 767.
The bus fare from Dhaka to Gopalganj would be Tk 423; from Dhaka to Khulna via Gopalganj would be Tk 575; from Dhaka to Shariatpur via Janjira would Tk 257; from Dhaka to Pirojpur via Barishal Tk 580; from Dhaka to Pirojpur via Gopalganj, Bagerhat Tk 619.
The bus fare from Dhaka to Patuakhali via Barishal would be Tk 561; from Dhaka to Madaripur Tk 344; from Dhaka to Satkhira via Gopalganj, Khulna Tk 689; from Dhaka to Faridpur via Bhanga Tk 323; from Dhaka to Shariatpur via Buriganga second bridge Tk 257.
The bus fare from Cox's Bazar to Barishal via Chattogram, Dhaka's Postagola Bridge, Bhanga, Madaripur would be Tk 1,388; from Chattogram to Khulna via Dhaka's Postagola bridge, Bhanga Tk 1,192; and from Chattogram to Barguna via Dhaka's Postagola bridge, Barishal, Patuakhali Tk 1,282.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the expressway in March 2020.
From today, to use the expressway, the toll for a medium-sized truck would be Tk 550, for a bus Tk 495, for a car Tk 140 and for a motorcycle Tk 30, according to the notice issued on Wednesday.
The vehicle has to pay a separate toll for the Padma bridge. To cross the Padma river through the 6.15km bridge, a medium-sized truck has to pay Tk 2,100 as toll, a bus Tk 2,400, a car Tk 750 and a motorcycle Tk 100.