The newly-fixed increased fares of CNG-run auto-rickshaws are scheduled to come into effect from Monday in the premier port city Chittagong.
The Chittagong Metropolitan Police authorities said around 13,000 registered CNG-run auto-rickshaws would have to charge fares from the commuters of the port city as per metre from Monday.
The new fare for CNG-run auto-rickshaws was fixed at Tk40 for the first two kilometres and Tk12 for each additional kilometre. The waiting charge for the CNG-run auto-rickshaws was fixed at Tk2 per minute.
The activists defending the rights of the commuters, however, expressed doubt whether the decision of mandatory metre use in the CNG-run auto-rickshaws in Chittagong would be implemented or not.
Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, secretary general of Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh told the Dhaka Tribune that the mandatory use of metre in CNG-run auto-rickshaws in Chittagong would end in smoke.
“According to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, 13000 CNG auto-rickshaws are permitted in Chittagong city. Around 7,000 more CNG auto-rickshaws ply in the city without registration. However, as far as we know that only 2000 CNG auto-rickshaws were calibrated till Sunday,” said Chowdhury.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Masud-ul-Hasan, CMP deputy commissioner (traffic-north) said they would take punitive measures against the drivers if metres were not found in the CNG auto-rickshaws.
“We will case files against the errant drivers and seize the auto-rickshaws having no metres,” vowed the police boss.