A 60 percent hike in bus fare has come into effect from this morning (Wednesday) as the government directed to run public transport with half of its capacity in the wake of alarming rise of Coronavirus infections across the country.

Bus owners have to carry 50 percent passengers of their capacity and have to follow necessary health safety guidelines from Wednesday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said on Tuesday.

The order will remain in force for the next two weeks, Obaidul Quader added while talking to reporters at a press briefing.

Passengers will have to pay the additional bus fares from Wednesday, he said.

Earlier on May 31, 2020, the government raised the fares of inter-district and long-haul (Dhaka, Chittagong cities and adjoining areas) buses and minibuses by 60 percent in order to compensate bus owners carrying 50 percent less passengers to prevent the transmission of Coronavirus.