It is nothing new that most of the CNG-run green auto-rickshaw drivers in the capital do not charge fares according to the meter, forcing commuters to pay exorbitant rates, based on the drivers’ whims for the last three years.
The drivers, on their part, term the fare fixed by the government “unjust” considering the rise in prices of essentials and the fact that the owners of the vehicles overcharge them. The owners admit to the overcharging and support the drivers in their demand for a revision in the fares.
The woes of the commuters do not end with finding an auto-rickshaw to ferry them to their destination at double or triple the usual meter rate. Often there are heated arguments with the drivers, sometimes even leading to scuffles. And to top it all, the passengers, on the request of the auto drivers, are forced to lie to the police officers stopping the auto-rickshaws.
The authorities have recently started a drive to conduct a check on whether the three-wheelers are charging the government-set fare, easing the harassment of the passengers to some extent.
The owners’ representatives had agreed to the government decision on fare rate revision in January 2011, but the drivers had rejected it outright and had begun defying the directives within a month. The drivers’ associations had no representation in the decision-making process.
The government has no plans to revise the fares again anytime soon, said officials. However, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is considering a proposal, put forward by the owners to revise the fare and the amount of daily deposit.
The government in late 2010 raised the fare from Tk7 per kilometre to Tk7.64, waiting charge from Tk1.25 per minute to Tk1.30 and kept the minimum fare unchanged at Tk25. The daily deposit was set at Tk600. The decision came into force in January 2011.
The drivers claim that the owners now charge them much higher than the fixed rate, at times as much as Tk1,000, forcing them, in turn, to demand higher fare from the passengers. In some cases, the auto drivers tamper with their meters to earn more.
Only the auto-rickshaws labelled as “private” do not have meters as they are supposed to be owned and run by individuals for personal use. However, they carry passengers too, but charge reasonably.
Pranab Saha, employee of a private company, said: “The auto-rickshaw drivers now charge a minimum fare of Tk100 for any distance, and they often refuse to make short trips.”
“The city dwellers are hostages at the hands of the drivers, especially during the busy hours and when they need vehicles for an emergency purpose. This harassment should stop,” he said.
Halima Khatun, a Badda resident, said: “The drivers agree to go by meter only if some extra amount is added to the reading. They put the blame for this on the fact that the owners charge them a higher amount.”
She blamed lax monitoring by the concerned authorities for the mismanagement and demanded that the owners be brought to book.
Taiz Uddin, an auto-rickshaw driver, said: “We now have to pay Tk850-900 to the owner as daily deposit. They demanded Tk700 a year ago. The owners never follow the government-fixed rate.”
He said both the fare and the deposit money should be increased as the price of everything has increased over the last few years.
Earlier, the drivers demonstrated and enforced strikes, demanding an increase in the fare rates and punishment of the owners for charging higher than the government-fixed rate. In June 2011, they threatened an indefinite strike over their 10-point demands that included action against owners, end of police harassment in the name of checking driver’s licence and creating parking space for auto-rickshaws at different places.
Dhaka Metropolitan CNG Auto-Rickshaw Owners’ Association President Md Barkat Ullah Bhulu acknowledged the trend of overcharging the commuters. “The rate has to be adjusted now considering the rising prices of daily necessities.”
He told the Dhaka Tribune that a proposal has been submitted to the government to set the deposit money at Tk900 and also to increase the minimum fare and the per kilometre charge.
“If any owner or driver does not adjust their meters after revision of the fare, punitive measures will be taken against them,” he added.
Communications Secretary MAN Siddique blamed the passengers for not cooperating with the traffic police in penalising the drivers who did not follow the meter. “When we conduct mobile courts, the passengers do not admit that they are paying extra money. It is a big obstacle to ensuring fairness.”
He told the Dhaka Tribune that they would not go for a revision in the fare and the deposit money till there is an increase in the CNG prices.
The green auto-rickshaws were introduced in the city in 2004 when the government also set the fare and the owners’ deposit. The process is managed and monitored by the communications ministry with the help of police and the BRTA.
However, as early as 2006, the government mandated rates lost their relevance, when the drivers agitated against the owners and demanded that the fare be increased further.