Jatri Kalyan Samity demands withdrawal of increased bus fares

Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers' welfare platform, on Tuesday demanded the withdrawal of the increased fares of buses and minibuses as the transport owners are not maintaining the health guidelines to prevent coronavirus transmission.

Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, general secretary of the Jatri Kalyan Samity, came up with the demand in a press statement on Tuesday, reports UNB.

Public transport owners are not maintaining the health guidelines set by the government as they are seen carrying passengers as before, the statement said.

“Not only that, they’re also realising more fare than the government fixed one, inflicting sufferings on low-oncome and jobless people,” it said.

On May 31, the government raised the bus and minibus fares of inter-district and long routes (Dhaka, Chittagong cities and adjoining areas) by 60 percent in order to compensate the bus owners as they are carrying 50 percent less passengers to maintain social distancing to prevent the transmission of coronavirus.

After the increase in bus fares, human haulers, auto-rickshaws and taxi-cab owners are also realising extra fares from passengers, the statement added.

The Jatri Kalyan Samity demanded the government take necessary steps to withdraw the increased bus fares and reset that at the previous ones.