Bus owners accept 50% student discount in all metropolitan areas

The Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association has announced that it will implement a 50 percent discount on bus fare for students in Chattogram and all other metropolitan areas, subject to conditions.

Khandaker Enayet Ullah, the organisation’s central secretary-general, also called on students to end their protests and return to their educational institutions at a press conference at the Chattogram Press Club on Sunday.

The new bus fare will be implemented from Dec 11, the transport owners said. The 50 percent discount for students will apply to Chattogram and other cities where city service buses operate, they added.

However, the discount will not apply to upazila and long-haul buses.

Enayet Ullah said that students will have to present their student ID cards to receive the half-price fare between 7 am to 8 pm on school days. The discount will not be available on government holidays or other days when schools are closed.

No decision was taken on whether students will be able to avail the discount on bus service outside metropolitan areas.

On Nov 7, the government raised bus fares by 27 percent under pressure from transport owners following a 23 percent hike in the diesel price. Since then, students have been protesting for a 50 percent discount on bus fares.

The death of two students in separate road accidents in Dhaka in recent days has further inflamed student protests.

On Nov 30, the Dhaka Transport Owners Association announced that it would accept the students’ demands for the 50 percent discount in Dhaka, but with particular restrictions on when it would apply.

Students rejected the concession, saying they wanted the 50 percent discount to be implemented nationwide, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The transport owners’ decision regarding the Chattogram fare came amid their continuing protests.