Dhaka, Sep 24 (V7N) – The Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (BJKS) has urged the government to introduce a dedicated "half fare" list for students on public buses, aiming to resolve disputes between students and transport workers over fare payments.

Mahmudul Hasan Russell, BJKS publicity secretary, made this demand through a statement on Tuesday, pointing to frequent conflicts and scuffles stemming from the half fare issue. He highlighted that the problem persists despite a previous agreement.

On December 1, 2021, following significant student protests, leaders of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association and the Dhaka Road Transport Owners’ Association agreed to charge half fare for students on city buses in Dhaka and Chittagong. This decision was later formalized by a notification from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).

However, the absence of a separate fare list specifically for students has led to frequent clashes between students and bus staff. In some cases, buses have refused to take students in uniform, while others have faced physical removal from buses after disputes.

The BJKS pointed out that many buses still refuse to accept half fare, causing students to resort to stopping buses from the same company in retaliation. The situation is worsened by the fact that bus owners lease their vehicles to drivers and fare collectors on a daily rental basis. The reduction in total fare due to the half fare system negatively affects drivers and fare collectors, leading to further tensions with students.

In light of these ongoing issues, the BJKS called on the BRTA to mandate the display of a separate fare list for students on all buses and ensure that bus operators maintain profitability under the adjusted fare structure.

Additionally, the Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association recently announced a seven-day trial period for implementing half fare for students on buses operating in metro areas.

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