The government has failed to enforce the revised metered-fare system for CNG-run autorickshaws in the capital which was introduced only three month ago.
A survey by Passengers’ Welfare Association Bangladesh (PWAB) has found that none of the CNG-run autorickshaw drivers are following the government-fixed fare rate.
The survey report, released by the PWAB yesterday, says around 62% of the autorickshaw drivers take passengers only on a contract basis, and the rest of the drivers ask for Tk20-Tk40 extra than the meter fare.
“No one is following the government regulations, as we have found in our survey,” PWAB General Secretary Mozammel Haque Chowdhury told the Dhaka Tribune.
Sources said the Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) has received a number of complaints in this regard and has sent a letter to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), who is responsible for the proper implementation of the new system, to look into the matter.
The Dhaka Tribune contacted BRTA Secretary Shawkat Ali in this regard, who said: “We already decided on some initiatives to resolve this situation at a meeting on January 27.”
He said the mobile courts, which were active only during daytime, will now work day and night to ensure that the new fare system is being followed.
“We will also form civil teams who will work around the city to identify the drivers who are charge extra fare,” he added.
However, a high official at the BRTA said the number of mobile courts are not enough to pull off the job.
“We have only four or five mobile courts, which are not enough to cover a megacity like Dhaka. Besides, the mobile courts do not have enough law enforcement personnel to conduct drives in the city,” he told the Dhaka Tribune, requesting anonymity.
He further said the new initiatives to implement the metered-fare system have to be executed strictly in order to be effective.
The government put the new fare system into effect on November 1, with recalibrated meters installed in the autorickshaws.
Autorickshaw drivers initially followed the new system, but with time most of them have gone back to the old ways.
This reporter recently tried to hire CNG-run autorickshaws in several areas around the capital and found that none of them agreed to follow the metered-fare system.
“I charge extra fare because the owner of my autorickshaw demands more money as deposit than the government rate,” said Kabir Hossain, an autorickshaw driver in Banani.
However, when this reporter asked him for the mobile phone number of the autorickshaw owner, he refused to give it.
Another autorickshaw driver, named Motin, in Mohakhali said it was the excess fuel cost that was the problem.
“Before, my autorickshaw only needed Tk200 of CNG for an entire day, but now I can’t travel for even half a day with the same amount of gas,” he said.
Shawkat Ali said they would look into this matter as well. “We will visit the CNG-run autorickshaws garages; anyone who is found to charge extra money for deposits will be fined accordingly.”
Barkat Ullah Bolu, convener of Dhaka CNG Autorickshaw Owners’ Association told the Dhaka Tribune that they agree with the BRTA’s decisions. “We have received many complaints in this regard as well. We met with the BRTA officials and think their course of action will help resolve this issue.”
