Uber provides an essential service
We are surprised to see the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) take such a tough stand against the on-demand transport service Uber. That advertisements have been posted in media terming its usage as "illegal" and punishable by law is not a step in the right direction because Uber is providing a workable transport service that Dhaka lacks. The service is a technology platform that has revolutionised urban movement in more than 450 cities across 74 countries by connecting drivers and riders with the tap of a smart phone. As in every other country, taxi drivers have been up in arms against Uber drivers and Bangladesh is no exception. But let us face the facts. Dhaka has been in sore need of a workable taxi service for many years and the ones that do exist in the city are both woefully inadequate and exorbitantly pricey. The unavailability of taxis force thousands of commuters to use less safe means to get around and this becomes all too evident during rush hour.
It is interesting to note that the Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Qader has welcomed the introduction of this phone-based transportation service. We agree with Uber and the minister that the service may have to come under some sort of a framework to operate, but then why wasn't this issue addressed when Uber teamed up with the largest telecom company when it launched its service? From customer feedback, it stands to reason that Uber is a workable model that fulfils a basic demand Dhaka residents have and we hope the service will not be nipped in the bud to satisfy a select few.
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