Effective from Jan 1 in Dhaka, Ctg cities
The government yesterday increased the CNG-run auto-rickshaw fare, fixing the lowest fare at Tk 25, with effect from next January.
As per the revised fare, commuters will have to pay Tk 25 instead of current Tk 14 for the first two kilometres (km).
Also, the charge for each subsequent km will be Tk 7 instead of Tk 6 and the waiting charge per minute will be Tk 1.25 instead of Tk one.
Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain disclosed this after a meeting held at his ministry to re-fix the fare of CNG-driven auto-rickshaws running in Dhaka and Chittagong.
On the other hand, the auto drivers will have to per day pay Tk 600 instead of Tk 450 per CNG-run auto-rickshaw to its owners as non-refundable deposit money.
The new charges will come into effect from January 1, 2011.
The charges were last reset in April 2008, raising the fare for the first two kms from Tk 13.5 to Tk 14.
The current decision to raise charges came amid CNG drivers demanding fare at their will and not as per the fare indicator meter.
Moreover, the owners are also alleged to be violating government charges by realizing higher deposit money, ranging from Tk 700 to Tk 1,000, from the auto drivers.
When questioned on the issue of the drivers being least bothered about the current charges, Communications Secretaery Mozammel Haque Khan said this time they would take measures to implement the revised charges.
“Monitoring will be enhanced so that the re-fixed charges are followed properly,” he told reporters after the meeting.
He said a committee, headed by a senior official of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and comprised of law enforcing and other concerned agencies, would be formed to carry out the monitoring.
“There will also be an agreement between the drivers and the owners so that the new charges are implemented,” he added.
The secretary, however, failed to give a satisfactory reply when asked on the lack of action against the CNG drivers who do not use fare indicator meters or follow the fixed charges.
BRTA chairman Ayubur Rahman Khan, Home Ministry’s Additional Secretary Iqbal Khan Chowdhury and representatives of different organisations of auto-rickshaw owners and drivers were present at the meeting.
