The transport owners' leader asked the students involved in continuous movement demanding half bus fare to return their homes. COURTESY
The discounted fare will only be applied between 7am and 8pm on weekdays in Dhaka city
Public transport owners on Tuesday decided to take half fare from students in Dhaka from today (Wednesday). After a long standoff with the government, bus owners have finally agreed to cut fares by half for students travelling on buses in Dhaka city.
General Secretary of Road Transport Owners' Association Khandaker Enayet Ullah told a press conference at the city's Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue.
"The half bus fare for students will come into effect from December 1. Students must show ID cards of their respective schools or colleges while paying half fare," he said.
Enayet Ullah said the half bus fare will not be applicable on holidays and at district levels except Dhaka city while students can pay the half fare during 7 am to 8 pm. He also urged all transport owners and workers to help implement the decision.
The transport owners' leader asked the students involved in continuous movement demanding half bus fare to return their homes.
Earlier, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at a meeting hinted about the decision of private bus owners to implement half bus fare for students.
In response to the demand of students, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier decided to reduce fares by 50 percent in state-owned BRTC buses across the country, which also becomes effective from Wednesday.
On November 3, the government raised the prices of diesel and kerosene by Tk15 per litre, prompting transport owners to enforce an indefinite strike in the country on November 7 demanding a hike in bus fares.
Amid the woes of the public caused by the strike, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) raised the fares of city service and long-haul buses by more than 25 percent.
Following the fare hike, students started demonstrating on the streets of Dhaka demanding half fares in public transports.
The student protests gained traction with the added demand for road safety following the death of a Notre Dame College Student on November 24.
Since then demonstrators had been blockading different streets and intersections of the city till Monday to press home their demands.
On Monday night, another student, who took the SSC exams this year, was run over and killed by a bus in Dhaka’s Rampura.
The incident prompted an agitated mob to torch at least eight buses in the area, and further stoked concerns over reckless driving and safety on roads.
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