Commuters, especially office-goers have been suffering on Dhaka roads since Saturday morning, as public transportation was less than usual, following the sudden hike in fuel oil prices.
Locals said busses that are plying Gabtobli, Mirpur, Uttara, Rampura, and Shahbag areas are packed with passengers and have doubled their prices.
Asaduzzaman, who works at an office in Dhaka’s Shahbag area, told Bangla Tribune: “The bus charged me double. I have seen many people standing on roads waiting for busses.”
Meanwhile, rickshaws, CNG-run autorickshaws, human haulers continued to operate as normal, but they too are charging extra.
Ride-sharing services also reportedly increased their fares.
Rahima Begum, a passenger of a ridesharing service, said: “I paid Tk250 on Friday, but, it cost me Tk390 on Saturday for the same distance.”
Transport owners are scheduled to meet with the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to discuss an adjustment of fares on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, launch owners had a discussion among themselves on the adjustment of fares in light of the price hike.
Launch Owners Association leader Siddikur Rahman Patwari said they would soon hold a meeting with the government agency concerned.
The government on Friday announced that it had raised all fuel oil prices, which came into effect on Saturday.
The sharp rise, around 50%, came as a surprise since the authorities recently rumors of a possible crisis over fuel stock.
Now the price of diesel and kerosene per litre at the consumer level is Tk114, octane Tk135, and petrol Tk130.
