Half bus fare for students a welcome decision

We commend the government for taking the decision to halve the bus fare for students travelling by state-owned BRTC buses. Reportedly, the decision will be effective from December 1. School and college students had been protesting against the high bus fares they were being forced to pay after the new fares came into effect. They gave the government an ultimatum of 48 hours to come to a decision in this regard, or face a new student movement. It is, therefore, great to see that the government has listened to reason and met the students' demand.

After the government raised the prices of diesel and kerosene by Tk 15 per litre, transport owners went on an indefinite strike to raise bus fares. To meet their demands, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) increased the fares for intra-city and inter-district buses by 26.5 and 27 percent respectively. The increased bus and other transport fares came as a shock to mid- and low-income groups who already had their backs against the wall, struggling to cope with the pandemic effects and soaring prices of daily essentials even before increased fares added to their children's educational expenses. Therefore, it was really important that the government listen to the students' grievances. In fact, there has been an unwritten rule of half bus fare for students from even before our independence. But only a few BRTC bus drivers complied with this rule, while the majority of private transport owners moved away from this.

But since a majority of the buses on our roads are operated by private owners, it is important that they halve their fares in the students' interests as well. A discounted bus fare for students will not prevent them from making profit, since they are already making hefty profits by boarding more passengers than there are seats, and charging standing passengers the same fare as those occupying the seats. So instead of waiting for directives from the government, the private bus owners should consider their social responsibilities and reduce student fares willingly.

School and college students were protesting with two demands: half bus fare and safety in public transport. While the government took a judicious decision to reduce the bus fare by half, no particular measures were promised to ensure the students'—particularly the girls'—safety on public transport. The fact that the conductor of a private bus service threatened to rape a female student for wanting to pay half bus fare is concerning and calls for strict action from the authorities.