Fruitful Snacks, Fruitless Meeting: Bus Fares May Rise by 22 Paisa
Photo: Agamir Somoy
It was 7:20 PM at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority building at Banani on Sunday. The meeting to discuss raising bus fares had just begun. Shortly after, the head of the agency—who also served as the chairperson of the meeting—entered the room. Following introductions, the discussions commenced and stretched on for hours, finally concluding at 10:07 PM.
By the time the meeting ended, 14 cups of black tea had been served in the room. Around 7:45 PM, snack boxes from the brand restaurant 'Kabuli' were brought in, containing apples, samosas, cake, and sandwiches. Despite the snacks and the lengthy dialogue, the outcome of the meeting seemed entirely fruitless. No final decision could be reached by the end of the session.
At 10:20 PM, Mir Ahmed Tariqul Omar, Chairman of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), hurried out of the building. When asked about the recommended fare hike, he replied bluntly, "We haven't finalized any decision. The recommendation will be prepared in the morning and sent to the Ministry. The Ministry will then review and finalize it. A notification may be issued tomorrow."
However, an attendee of the meeting informed Agamir Somoy that the BRTA and transport owners had reached a consensus on increasing the fare by 22 paisa per kilometer. Despite the agreement, the official meeting minutes remained unsigned, leaving the decision unconfirmed. If the BRTA’s recommendation is approved by the Ministry, fares for both city and long-distance routes will increase by 22 paisa.
Under this proposal, city fares would rise from the current Tk2.45 to Tk2.67 per kilometer. Long-distance fares would increase from Tk2.12 Tk to 2.34 per kilometer.
Returning to the topic of the snacks, a call was placed to the 'Kabuli' restaurant to inquire about the prices of their snacks. They estimated the apples at Tk50 per piece, samosas at Tk15, and cakes at over Tk40. However, they could not provide a specific price for the sandwiches.
Meanwhile, the BRTA Chairman appeared irritated by the presence of the media. In an agitated tone, he advised journalists not to engage in "excessive journalism."
