Water Transport Fares Rise 7.54% After Fuel Price Hike
Water transport fares have increased by 7.54% following the government’s recent Tk20-per-litre increase in fuel prices. The revised fares, including a minimum fare of Tk35, take effect from 23 September.
In a Nutshell:
- Water transport fares have been increased by 7.54% following the recent fuel price hike.
- The new fares take effect from 23 September.
- The minimum fare has been set at Tk35.
- For journeys within the first 100km, fares have increased by 23 poisha per kilometre and beyond 100km, fares have increased by 20 poisha per kilometre.
- The increase follows a Tk20-per-litre rise in diesel, petrol, octane and kerosene prices.
- Launch operators had already raised fares on some routes, including Dhaka-Barishal, where deck fares increased from Tk300 to Tk350.
Context
The increase comes after the government raised the prices of all major petroleum fuels by Tk20 per litre on 21 September, where Diesel increased from Tk115 to Tk135 per litre. The fuel price increase has since been followed by higher fares across different modes of public transport. Bus fares have already been raised by 17 poisha per kilometre for city and long-distance services. Now, water transport operators, especially launch owners, pointing to rising operating costs, have increased deck fares from Tk300 to Tk350 on the Dhaka-Barishal route, while cabin fares also went up. Meanwhile, the government has warned transport operators against charging more than the officially approved rates.
Why it matters
The latest increase in waterway transport fares, along with higher road transport fares, is an additional financial pressure on citizens. While transport operators are facing genuine pressure from rising fuel costs, some passenger groups have also raised concerns over the lack of transparency in how fares are set. The Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity has called for passenger representatives to be included in fare-setting discussions and for operators’ actual cost increases to be publicly disclosed. They believe without this accountability, commuters are left carrying the burden of higher fares without clarity on whether they are fair or justified.
What we think
We are bearing the brunt of these rising costs everyday. But the reason behind these disruptions are global conflicts which are beyond our control. Therefore, it is favourable to monitor the situation patiently and hope for conditions to improve.