New ferry fare may push up commodity price
Say businesspeople as BIWTC starts charging increased fares
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) started charging a 10 percent increase in ferry fares from yesterday, while businesspeople and road transport owners say the rise will eventually push up the prices of commodities and fares of passenger vehicles.
On March 31, the state-run BIWTC announced that it would increase 25 percent fare for ferrying vehicles and 35 percent for passengers from April 10 on different river routes.
The announcement drew strong opposition from owners of road transports, who denied giving 25 percent increased fare at a time, ultimately forcing the corporation to agree to a ten percent increase. The 35 percent increase in passenger fares however was duly implemented.
“After negotiations between the shipping ministry and road transport owners, it was decided that BIWTC would charge a ten percent increased fare from May 26 for ferrying vehicles”, BIWTC spokesperson Nazrul Islam Misha told The Daily Star.
The fares for transporting vehicles on BIWTC ferry vessels were increased to Tk 1,452 from Tk 1,320 on Paturia-Dauladia route, to Tk 1,848 from Tk 1,680 on Mawa-Charjanajat, and to Tk 1,425 from Tk 1,285 on Laharhut-Veduria route for each single trip, sources said.
Gopal Krishna Majumdar, assistant general manager of BIWTC Barisal station, confirmed that the passengers of BIWTC vessels on 169km long Dhaka-Barisal route had been paying Tk 750 instead of Tk 565 for one first class cabin seat, Tk 450 instead of Tk 355 for one second class cabin seat, and Tk 120 instead of Tk 95 for each deck seat from April 10.
He claimed that fares had been increased after four years since 2008, and the fares were still lower than that of the private launches, which charge Tk 850 for per first class cabin seat, Tk 400-450 per sofa seat, and Tk 150-180 per deck seat on the same route.
The BIWTC claimed losses in passenger vessels, blaming increasing prices of fuel and costs of operating, repairing, management and maintenance of the old vessels. Requesting anonymity, a BIWTC source however alleged gross corruption in this sector.
The BIWTC has been earning profit in the ferry sector since 2001, and earned Tk 210 core in last fiscal year, including Tk 33 core as net profit, said Gopal Krishna.
However, considering the fuel price hikes and implementation of a new pay-scale, the BIWTC has decided to increase fares as the operating cost has increased to Tk 40 core from Tk 20 core within a year, he added.
The BIWTC transports fewer passengers than private transport organisations on Barisal-Dhaka-Barisal route, but ferrying of vehicles and cargo transporting are totally under its control.
So increase in ferry fares will certainly raise fares of passenger buses and cargo trucks and prices of goods, said Saidur Rahman Rintu, president of Barisal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, talking to this correspondent on Friday.
Barisal Nagarik Samaj member secretary Mizanur Rahman feared that the 10-35 percent rise of ferry and passenger fares at one time might not ensure better passenger services on the route, as the authorities concerned were just considering profit rather than services.
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