Commuters in the capital city had to pay exorbitant fares on Sunday, the first of the new arrangement, as the drivers of CNG-run auto-rickshaws, barring a few exceptions, continued to charged more and refused to go by the meter.
Auto-rickshaw drivers charged fares in excess, often several times more that the newly fixed rates, complained commuters.
They said that there were none to turn to against such rampant non compliance of meters and fares.
Neither the police nor the mobile courts were there to penalise the drivers who flouted the rules at sweet will, said helpless commuters.
They said that they had to pay much more to commute than they were prepared to spend on the very first day of the much publicised new arrangement the authorities put in lace in November.
The government fixed the new fares in November following a tripartite agreement it had with the drivers and the owners. The arrangement requires strict meter compliance by the auto-rickshaw drivers.
But the tripartite agreement on fare and meter compliance was on tatters on the very first day.
Commuters in the capital city complained that auto-rickshaw drivers generally ignored their requests to go by meters.
The drivers continued to charge exorbitant fares and many of them refused to take them to their destinations of choice though it’s a gross violation of the rules for the drivers to refuse to carry passengers. The terms of their driving licence as well as of the road permit of rental transports prohibit it.
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority and the associations of drivers and owners of the CNG-run auto-rickshaw admitted that ‘some of the drivers’ charged excess fares refusing to go by meters.
The failure of the police as well as the BRTA to enforce meter and fare compliance, said commuters, left them at the mercy of the drivers.
On the first day, the authorities could institute only on mobile court, instead of the six they said they would to enforce compliance and penalise violations by imposing fines.
Baffled commuters said that they found no cop or mobile courts anywhere to record their complaints. There was none to take the actions against the violators either, they said.
The drivers’ association, however, said that many auto-rickshaw owners continued to realise daily rent in excess of Tk 600, fixed by the authorities in accordance with the tripartite agreement.
The government made it mandatory for CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers to go by meters from January 16 and to charge Tk 25 for first two kilometers, up from the previous rate of Tk 14, and Tk seven 7 for each subsequent kilometer, up from Tk 6.
Responding to the owners’ demand, the government had increased the daily rent an auto-rickshaw driver has to pay the owner, to Tk 600, from Tk 450.
The government fixed the minimum fare at Tk 25, up from Tk 18.
It would be fourth auto-rickshaw fare hike since 2002, when the fare for the first two kilometres was set at Tk 12 and Tk five for each subsequent kilometre.
Sabuj, a young commuter, said that at least two auto-rickshaw drivers refused to take him to Motijheel.
A third one, he said, refused to go by the meter and instead demanded Tk150 for the trip.
BRTA chairman Ayubur Rahman Khan told New Age, ‘We received complaints like this.’
He said, ‘we will sit with the owners and drivers on Monday to discuss the issue.’
‘You see, we requested the police for a strict enforcement of meter and fare compliance. But they are not in our hands,’ he said.
Khan said all the mobile courts needed could not be instituted as magistrates were pre-occupied with preparations for Monday’s municipal polls in Dhaka division.
He said that mobile courts would be instituted from Saturday to penalise the drivers for non-compliance.
Dhaka district 4-Stroke Auto-Rickshaw CNG Drivers’ Union acting general secretary Shahidul Islam said that many owners continued to charge more than the rent fixed for auto-rickshaw at Tk 600 a day in defiance of the agreement.
He said that they give receipt for Tk 600, but realise up to Tk 800 a day in rent.
He said that they would rent out the auto-rickshaw to a different driver if one insists on paying according to the agreed rate.
But the owners’ association refuted the allegation.
Dhaka City CNG-Auto-rickshaw, Baby-taxi Owners’ Association general secretary Faridul Islam Khashru asked the drivers to lodge complaints with the associations, if the owners demand more than the new rate of rent per day.
The new fares, originally scheduled to be effective from January 1, had to be rescheduled for readjustment of meters with new fares.
