Bus fares may rise by 20 paisha per kilometer
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
Following a sudden Tk 20 per liter hike in fuel prices, bus fares may increase by 20 paisha per kilometer.
This proposal could be finalized during a preliminary fare adjustment meeting held on Monday afternoon at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) office in Banani. The meeting, which began at 3:00 PM, was still ongoing as of 4:45 PM at the time of writing.
Multiple sources present at the meeting informed Agamir Somoy that BRTA might propose a bus fare increase of 20 poisha per kilometer. However, transport owners are advocating for an increase of at least 40 poisha per kilometer. The final decision will be made by the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges. Sources also indicated that a gazette notification regarding the revised bus fares could be issued by Tuesday.
Earlier on Sunday night, the government announced a Tk 20 per liter price increase across four types of fuel. Under the new rates, diesel is set at Tk 135 per liter, kerosene at Tk 155, octane at Tk 165, and petrol at Tk 160. The updated prices came into effect today, Monday.
The price of diesel—which powers most public transport, including buses—rose from Tk 115 to Tk 135 per liter, directly increasing transport fuel costs by Tk 20 per liter. Because this price surge impacts overall bus operation costs, BRTA initiated the fare adjustment process.
According to relevant sources, the meeting is reviewing proposals to adjust fares after factoring in updated operating costs, fuel expenses, and other overheads. Separate calculations may be considered for long-distance routes, metropolitan areas, and other bus categories. However, the exact rate increase for each category will become clear only after the government's final decision.
The most recent instance of adjusting bus fares in line with fuel price increases occurred in April of this year. At that time, the government raised diesel prices by Tk 15 per liter to Tk 115, while octane went up by Tk 20, petrol by Tk 19, and kerosene by Tk 18. Following that, BRTA's fare fixation committee met with stakeholders.
In a gazette notification issued on April 23, long-distance bus fares were increased from Tk 2.12 to Tk 2.23 per kilometer. Fares for city buses in Dhaka and Chattogram were raised from Tk 2.42 to Tk 2.53 per kilometer, while minibus fares in the DTCA area rose from Tk 2.32 to Tk 2.43 per kilometer. This represented a uniform increase of 11 poisha per kilometer for long-distance and metropolitan buses.
However, bus fares have not always increased every time fuel prices changed. In August 2022, when diesel jumped from Tk 80 to Tk 114 per liter, long-distance bus fares were increased by 40 poisha per kilometer, and city bus fares by 35 poisha. Later, when diesel was reduced by Tk 5, fares were lowered on August 31 from Tk 2.20 to Tk 2.15 per kilometer for long-distance routes, and from Tk 2.50 to Tk 2.45 per kilometer for Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitan buses.
Similarly, in April 2024, when diesel prices were cut by Tk 3 per liter, BRTA recommended a 3-poisha per kilometer fare reduction for diesel-run long-distance and city buses.
This time, diesel prices have surged by another Tk 20 per liter compared to April. As a result, transport owners are demanding a higher fare revision citing increased operational expenses. On the other hand, the financial pressure on commuters is also being considered during the adjustments.
The next steps in the bus fare adjustment process will move forward based on the recommendations from today's BRTA meeting. However, the final determination of the revised rates rests with the government.
