The anticipated rise in bus and auto fare has come. The new fares for buses will come into effect from October 1 and for CNG-run auto-rickshaws from November 1. While we commend the BRTA for not giving in to the transport owners' demand of an exorbitant rise in bus fare, we are surprised that some transport operators had already implemented a fare hike on their own, on the pretext of increased CNG prices, even before the government had announced a revision of fares.  

Fare hike for buses, mini-buses plying Dhaka and Chittagong cities is 6.25 percent, with minimum bus fare remaining unchanged at Tk 7. However, the hike in fare for CNG-auto rickshaws -- for the first 2 km Tk 40, an increase of 60 percent, and Tk 12 for each additional km travelled -- is exorbitant and unjustified, and the rationale is incomprehensible. This will severely cut into the purse of the middle income groups and should be reconsidered.  

Our experience shows that in spite of fare rates fixed by the government, very few transport operators, particularly CNG-run auto rickshaws, bother to comply. And the auto-rickshaw meter has become a fairytale. The bigger question is this: precisely what steps do authorities intend to take against these errant transport owners who choose to fleece commuters at will? We expect relevant agencies to show zero tolerance against owners of buses and three-wheelers who have regularly held residents of this city hostage to their whims.