Half fares: Standoff between BRTA and bus owners continues
FILE PHOTO: Students have been protesting in Dhaka for the discount on bus fares for days after the rates were increased following a hike in diesel prices Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
Tribune Report
Publish : 27 Nov 2021, 09:27 PMUpdate : 27 Nov 2021, 09:28 PM
The second meeting between bus owners and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) over half fares for students failed to reach a resolution on Saturday.
“There is need for more discussions before a decision can be made,” BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder told reporters after the meeting.
During the two-hour meeting, bus owners refused to budge on a demand for subsidies to bear the cost of the student discount. They called for the formation of a taskforce to determine the amount of the subsidies.
The BRTA urged students to remain calm, as it would take time to resolve the fare issue.
BRTA Chairman Mazumder also said bus owners had asked for statistics on how many students of which educational institutions needed the half fares, as well as on how many people used buses.
“The issue of identity cards for students has also been discussed. The Ministry of Education, Ministry of Home Affairs, BRTA and transport stakeholders will look into the statistics and identity card issues,” he added.
Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association leader Khandaker Enayet Ullah said: “80% of the owners of city buses in Dhaka are poor. Their families’ livelihood depends on one or two buses. Their children also go to schools or colleges.
"For this reason, the transport owners and workers are proposing that the half fare issue be decided after determining the issue of compensation or subsidies for bus owners. We have to decide from which fund this subsidy will come.”
He also urged protesting students to return to their educational institutions.
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Nazrul Islam had earlier said the government was continuing its sincere efforts to resolve the impasse with bus owners.
“As public transports are operated by private owners, we cannot put pressure on them. Bus owners and workers may also go on a strike if we force them to go for half fares, which will increase public suffering. Therefore, the problem should be mitigated through mutual understanding,” he said.
Meanwhile, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader urged transport leaders to find a logical solution to the students’ demand.
The minister said: “For the last few days students have been protesting and demanding half fares. Students are getting these facilities across the world. It is also true that when we were students, we also got this concession.”
The first meeting was held at the BRTA headquarters in Dhaka on Thursday.
Half fares: Standoff between BRTA and bus owners continues
The second meeting between bus owners and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) over half fares for students failed to reach a resolution on Saturday.
“There is need for more discussions before a decision can be made,” BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder told reporters after the meeting.
During the two-hour meeting, bus owners refused to budge on a demand for subsidies to bear the cost of the student discount. They called for the formation of a taskforce to determine the amount of the subsidies.
The BRTA urged students to remain calm, as it would take time to resolve the fare issue.
BRTA Chairman Mazumder also said bus owners had asked for statistics on how many students of which educational institutions needed the half fares, as well as on how many people used buses.
“The issue of identity cards for students has also been discussed. The Ministry of Education, Ministry of Home Affairs, BRTA and transport stakeholders will look into the statistics and identity card issues,” he added.
Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association leader Khandaker Enayet Ullah said: “80% of the owners of city buses in Dhaka are poor. Their families’ livelihood depends on one or two buses. Their children also go to schools or colleges.
"For this reason, the transport owners and workers are proposing that the half fare issue be decided after determining the issue of compensation or subsidies for bus owners. We have to decide from which fund this subsidy will come.”
He also urged protesting students to return to their educational institutions.
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Nazrul Islam had earlier said the government was continuing its sincere efforts to resolve the impasse with bus owners.
“As public transports are operated by private owners, we cannot put pressure on them. Bus owners and workers may also go on a strike if we force them to go for half fares, which will increase public suffering. Therefore, the problem should be mitigated through mutual understanding,” he said.
Meanwhile, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader urged transport leaders to find a logical solution to the students’ demand.
The minister said: “For the last few days students have been protesting and demanding half fares. Students are getting these facilities across the world. It is also true that when we were students, we also got this concession.”
The first meeting was held at the BRTA headquarters in Dhaka on Thursday.