Government fixes speedboat fares on 44 routes across 12 river ports

Separate fare structures are set for “calm” and “rough” routes

The government has set speedboat fares on 44 routes under 12 river ports following complaints of passengers being charged above approved rates in different parts of the country.

The Ministry of Shipping issued a gazette notification on Tuesday publishing the revised fare list for the routes.

The new fares came into effect from Monday.

The fares were set under regulations of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).

Under the new notification, separate fare structures have been set for routes classified as “calm” and “rough”.

For calm routes, the fare for the first 10km has been fixed at Tk 15 per passenger.

An additional Tk 10.80 will be charged for the next 10km, while the remaining distance will cost Tk 6.64 per kilometre.

For rough routes, the fare for the first 10km has been fixed at Tk 17 per passenger, with Tk 15 charged for each additional kilometre.

Previously, fares were determined either on the basis of government-approved per-kilometre rates or through discussions between district administrations and local speedboat owners’ associations.

In recent months, passengers staged protests over fare hikes and allegations of overcharging on speedboat routes.