Bus fare in the country’s southern region went up due to additional toll on the expressway.
The Department of Roads and Highways (RHD) started collecting toll on the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga Expressway known as Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Highway from Friday.
Vehicles from the country’s southern region will have to pay double toll on the expressway and the Padma Bridge. Meanwhile, BRTA has again adjusted the bus fare as the toll of the expressway has been finalized. As a result, bus fares on this route have increased more than before.
BRTA Director (Engineering) Shitangshu Shekhar Biswas told Bangladesh Post that earlier Tk 330 toll had to pay on three big bridges of the expressway, now the toll on the expressway is Tk 495 at a time. In that case vehicles have to pay Tk 165 more.”
According to BRTA sources, the fare for vehicles moving on 40 bus routes has been fixed at Tk 1.80 per kilometer along with the toll of the Expressway and the Padma Bridge. After the toll of Expressway and the Padma Bridge, bus fares have increased on various routes from Dhaka to the southern region.
It costs Tk 33 more to go to Barisal, Tk 31 more to go to Gopalganj, Tk 38 to Khulna, Tk 31 to go to Shariatpur, Tk 47 to Pirojpur, Tk 36 to Bagerhat, Tk 42 to Patuakhali, Tk 75 to Madaripur, Tk 35 to Satkhira, Tk 31 to Faridpur and Tk 66 to go to Kuakata. Apart from that, the fare from Cox's Bazar to Barisal has increased by Tk 39, from Chittagong to Khulna by Tk 43 and in Barguna by Tk 59.
The toll for motorcycles on the Padma Bridge is Tk 100 and the toll for expressway is Tk 30, hence the total toll is Tk 130. In case of private car, it is Tk 750 on the bridge and Tk 140 on the expressway, the total toll is Tk 890. Microbus has to pay Tk 1300 on the bridge and Tk 220 for an expressway and the total amount is Tk 1520. Besides, Tk 1400 for minibus on the Padma Bridge and Tk 275 for the expressway, the total toll is Tk 1675. In case of big bus, Tk 2,400 on the bridge and Tk 495 on the expressway, the total toll is Tk 2,895.
Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association Secretary General Khandaker Enayet Ullah informed that due to another toll of expressway bus fare has been increased again.
However, the authorities concerned did not discuss anything regarding expressway toll with them, he informed.