CNG autorickshaw drivers fleece commuters ahead of Eid

Photo: STAR

The CNG autorickshaw drivers are fleecing the commuters as lawlessness has gripped the service sector ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Harassment by the desperate drivers has become intolerable. They are virtually holding the passengers hostage to their sweet will not giving a damn to the recent string of measures by the authorities, said a number of commuters.
The auto rickshaw drivers still continue to refuse taking passengers to their destinations with meters turned on or make the passengers pay extortionate fares. On the other hand, the auto rickshaw owners continue to force the drivers pay more money than the amount fixed by the government as daily rentals.
Moreover, many auto rickshaws are still running with tampered meters while some did not even calibrate the meters with new pricing software yet.
On May 1 this year, the government increased the CNG fare hoping to improve the situation. Under the new fare structure, fare for the first two kilometres has been raised to Tk 13.50 from Tk 12 and fare for each extra kilometre to Tk 5.50. The new waiting charge has been set at Tk 0.75 per minute from Tk 0.50.
The drivers are supposed to pay Tk 450 to the vehicle owners in daily rentals as opposed to the previous rate of Tk 300.
However, the increased fare and rentals have so far failed to usher in the long-awaited respite from the horrendous ordeals the commuters go through everyday.
"The attitude of the CNG auto rickshaw drivers has not changed at all. In fact, the drivers have become even more defiant during Ramadan," said a passenger from Shahbagh.
"The average fare from Eden Collage to Mirpur 1 is around Tk 80, but I have to pay Tk.20 extra every time. We have no other option but to give them the extra money because they would otherwise refuse to go," said a student of Eden Collage.
The drivers, however, give the same old excuse. "What can we do? We remain stuck in traffic jam for hours every day. Then we have to spend time [in long lines] at refuelling stations," said Nurul Islam, a driver from Mirpur.
"Our daily trip has decreased significantly. We have to take it out on the commuters if we want to survive," he added.
Another driver said, "Because of the traffic jam, we avoid some areas. Entering those areas means being stuck there for hours."
M Abdul Barek, vice president of Dhaka District Auto Rickshaw Auto-tempo Mishuk Transport Workers' Union, said the number of auto rickshaws is less than the current demand, which creates pressure. "The owners are still collecting more money [as daily rentals] than the government-fixed rate. The drivers are taking it out on the commuters," he added.
A total of 13,000 CNG-run auto rickshaws are currently plying the streets in the capital. The government has recently announced that another 3,000 more auto rickshaws would be added in the city soon.
Meanwhile, when asked about what was being done to check the lawlessness in the auto rickshaw sector, ABM Shahjahan, chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), told Star City that the BRTA has intensified its drives during Ramadan to stop harassment of passengers by CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers. For that reason, the BRTA is currently conducting two mobile courts in the city.
"Most city dwellers are in a rush during the day as the office hours are shorter [in Ramadan]. Then there are Iftar and Tarabih hours. All of them come out on the streets at the same time and that is hiking up the demand for CNG three-wheelers," he added.
"The drivers are taking advantage of the gridlock and the high demands during Ramadan," he explained.
"The traffic congestion has amplified tremendously during Ramadan. And because of the jam, we cannot operate the mobile courts in busy areas as it would worsen the situation," he said.
A combined operation with the help of Dhaka Metropolitan Police will be launched within a few days. Under the operation, BRTA will visit different three-wheeler garages, he added.
Since the first day of Ramadan, the BRTA mobile courts filed 1,152 cases against CNG three-wheelers. The court also realised fines worth around Tk 10 lakh and sentenced 15 drivers with 15-day jail terms for various offences.