New vessel fare by June 15
Committee to submit recommendations by June 12
Shipping ministry yesterday formed an eleven-member committee to re-fix fare of passenger carrier vessels plying different inland river routes.
The committee was formed following a meeting between the minister and the vessel owners at the ministry in the city.
As per the meeting decision, the committee will submit recommendations to the ministry by June 12 and the ministry would finalise the new fare by June 15 after scrutinising the decisions.
Member (finance) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) would be the committee convenor while its director (marine safety and traffic) would be member secretary.
The ministry's deputy secretary (transport authority) and representatives of Consumers Association of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Inland Waterways (passenger carrier) Association were included as committee members.
The association's Senior Vice President Badiuzzaman Badal said, "We will propose increasing fares because of fuel price hike, increasing workers' salaries and raising repairing costs of vessels."
But the new fare would surely remain lower than road transportation fares, he said.
Badal also informed that they talked about operating vessels on rotation, taxes on river route maintenance and berthing and vessel survey issues.
Shipping Secretary Abdul Mannan Hawlader, BIWTA Chairman Abdul Malek, the association President Mahbubuddin Bir Bikram were also present.
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