Rationalize Transport Fare

E-ticketing in private bus
Causes worry and lot of fuss.
Unreasonable bus fare hike,
Hurting the employed and jobless alike.

Having increased the bus fare disproportionately, few transport companies also embarked upon to introduce electronic gadgets to ensure the e-ticket system to comply the new bus fare. Commuters from all walks of life vehemently rejected the increase in bus fare as the companies are charging high fare much earlier from the current rise. The petrol and diesel price hike gave them the perfect opportunity to raise the fare.

Earlier lowest fare had been Tk 5.Later,when oil price had crossed $100/barrel, it was raised to TK 10.Now oil price is below $100 ,yet no fare adjustment is on the table. There are some transport services where fare is relaxed depending on the mercy of the supervisors.

Most of Dhaka commuters commute on public buses. There is no doubt that fare hike hit them hard as inflation is already giving them a difficult time.When I was a university student, monthly cost of transport was around TK 720(Mirpur-10—New Market one-way bus fare was roughly TK 12).I generally earned TK 3000/month from private tuition back then.So 24% of my earnings went to transportation cost. Now think of a student who earns TK 5000 from giving tuition and pays a monthly transport fee of TK 1500.So 30% of his income goes to pay bus fare.Right now inflation is more backbiting than what it was on those cheap snack-tea days. And the unemployed and seasonally employed people find the cost too much to bear. Transport has always been the gray area of the business sector in Bangladesh. People with opaque income footprints invest in transport sector to document their swollen income in the tax return. Many years ago a World Bank study also echoed the less transparent nature of Bangladesh’s transport sector.

Owners can easily bear the extra spendings instead of passing it to passengers.While income of the owners increases manifolds,average passenger keeps paying for the rising cost of living.

This e-ticketing of private bus service has come at a moment when metro service is scheduled to be launched two months later. Metro fare already caused storm into the tea cup as it is the highest in the region.Like bus fare,passengers are doomed to pay the highest fare in South Asia.Watch bodies need to step in and start probe in this matter. It is hilarious indeed that the cheapest mode of transportation becomes expensive in this country. Many like me think this e-ticketing is a deliberate attempt to up the ante for the metro authority who can later claim their fare is reasonable in comparison with bus fare.

Digitization is supposed to ease woes of daily commuters instead of compounding their problems.When most of the buses remain in rickety condition with patch works in old body lacking proper fitness to roll on the roads,passengers should not be forced to pay the extra money. Many bus assistants also lack compassion and good nature while dealing with the passengers.It is absurd when digitization adds further woes to a daily commuter's life instead of making life easier and wallet-friendly.

[Another thing I found very interesting is that govt has not created yet a database incorporating details of the owners,drivers and assistants. It will help it to manage traffic on the road as well as checking any violation in recruiting underaged/permitless drivers.However, interestingly, this is the alley the govt is less interested to walk on.**]

Transport service should be free from all political and opaque capital.[We have been sick and tired of reading news reports of vested groups regularly seek extortion from this sector.Ahead of future election,rumors are rife that many use volatile kitchen market to raise the electoral campaign cost.They may also have presence in transport sector.*] For the sake of greater good,we just cannot let some goon reign in this sector,which should not be a moneymaking or money-whitening machine.

[NB: This piece has been updated twice.
First update[*]: October 02,2022.
Secon update [**]: October 03,2022.]