BRTA recommends 80pc hike in bus fares to cushion virus impact

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority is seeking to increase public transport fares by 80 percent as bus services gear up to restart in a reduced capacity from Sunday.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 30 May 2020, 10:44 AM
Updated : 30 May 2020, 10:44 AM

The transport authority's fare fixation committee made the recommendation to offset the losses facing operators as each bus will only be allowed to fill half its seating capacity to meet social distancing requirements.

"Every bus must keep half of their seats empty. Bus owners are likely to incur big losses as a result,” BRTA Chairman Yusuf Ali Mollah told bdnews24.com on Saturday.

"That’s why the fare committee has recommended increasing the rate by 80 percent. This means that operators will take 80 percent of the fares from half the passengers.”

The proposal has been sent to the road transport ministry, according to Yusuf.

After more than two months under lockdown, the government decided to lift the ban on the public transit system, allowing operators to carry a limited number of passengers from May 31.