The newly inaugurated taxicab service has provoked a negative reaction from passengers as they say the new fare is almost double the amount they used to pay.
After a long wait, a brand new fleet of taxicabs hit the city roads on Tuesday but failed to live up to the taxi riders’ expectation, many said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the new cab service operated by the Trust Transport Services under the Army Welfare Trust at the Army Golf Club in Kurmitola of the capital.
Following the inauguration, the premier, however, urged the authorities concerned to fix Tk85 as fare for first two kilometres instead of Tk100.
The new rate came into effect the first day after the PM’s directive.
But the taxi riders alleged that the new charge was telling on them. They termed the new rate double the fare they had to pay previously.
Shawkat Hossain, a commuter who took a Toma Taxicab, said: “I came to Dainik Bangla from Gulshan – a 12-kilometre-long distance – and paid Tk554 as fare, which is much higher than before.”
A Gulshan 1 resident, Munia Islam, also an employee of a private Bank in Motijheel, said: “I was very hopeful about the new taxicab service, but the hike in fare has made me disinterested to hire a cab.”
SM Russel, a driver with Toma Taxi, avoided answering when asked about the new rates.
With a smile, he said he drove his taxi from morning to afternoon yesterday and earned Tk1,450.
Md Kamrul Hossain, a former driver of Navana Taxi, said: “The present rate is almost double the earlier one.”
Earlier the fare from Gulshan 2 to Dainik Bangla intersection was around Tk300, which currently goes over Tk550, he said, adding that if this rate continues, the new taxicab service will not be able to draw passengers.
MAN Siddique, secretary of the Roads Division under the Ministry of Communications, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The fare rate has already been reduced after the PM’s directive, and it has been brought into effect from the day of inauguration.”
When contacted, Brigadier General (rtd) Mustafa Kamal, chief executive officer of Toma Taxi, echoed the same sentiment.
“There is no chance to further reduce the existing fare rate – Tk85 for the first kilometer – because the cabs run on octane. The fare may rise in the future in accordance with the hike in fuel price,” he added.
The fare for the new AC taxi service was fixed at Tk100 for the first two kilometres, Tk34 for every subsequent kilometre and Tk8.5 per two-minutes of waiting, while for the non-AC ones, the fare would come down to Tk50, Tk20 and Tk5 respectively.
The rate is comparatively higher than in other major cities in South Asia and in the south-east Asian counties.
In Kolkata, an AC taxicab charges Tk32.31 at the beginning of the journey, Tk19.38 for every subsequent kilometre and Tk1.52 per minute of waiting.
In Kuala Lumpur, a taxicab charges Tk71.25 for the first one kilometre, Tk23.23 for every subsequent kilometre and Tk10 per minute of waiting.
In Bangkok, Tk101 is charged as fare for the first one kilometre and Tk11.95 for 2 to 12 kilometres.
In Dhaka city, with its constant gridlock, a journey by an AC taxicab from Mouchak to Mirpur 10 that covers 12km costs around Tk550, while by a non-AC taxicab the fare might be around Tk325.
The Trust Transport Services of Army Welfare Trust will initially operate in the capital with 27 taxicabs with the 1500cc engines of the Premio, Allion, Probox and Axio models purchased from Japan’s auto giant, Toyota.
Another private organisation, Toma Group, will also operate 19 air-conditioned taxicabs of the same kind.
The two companies will operate 650 taxicabs in Dhaka and Chittagong.
The Trust Transport Services is expected to introduce 400 such taxicabs while Toma Group will introduce another 250.
The Army Welfare Trust will operate 150 taxis in Chittagong.