CNG-run baby taxis of the port city have been charging exorbitant fares from their passengers without paying much heed to the government order asking them to go by the meter. The Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) is turning a blind eye to the practice and officials of the CMP traffic department are encouraging the cabs to operate without installing the meters, according to sources. The sources alleged that the drivers demanded at least Tk. 60 to 80 from their passengers to go to Agrabad from New Market area, though the distance between the two areas was not more than four km. Passengers alleged that the drivers compelled them to pay the high fare as there were no meters in the CNG-run baby taxis.
CMP officials said they could not tell the cabbies to set up taxi meters as it was not possible for the drivers or the owners to survive on the fare determined by the meters. “According to the 2007 directives, CNG-run baby taxi owners used to get Tk. 450 from the drivers each day. But they now take Tk. 520 due to the recent price hike. So, the drivers must earn more than Tk. 1,000 daily to meet their expenses. If the meters are indeed installed, they would only get Tk. 800 to 900 per day, which is much less than the amount needed for their survival,” they added.
According to the CMP traffic department, there are around 12,000 CNG-run baby taxis in the port city.
Sources said a large number of incumbent as well as retired policemen and government officials own most of the baby taxis. They told The Independent that the baby taxi owners are exerting their influence over the police administration to ensure that the taxi meters are not forced upon the cabbies.
It may be mentioned that unlike Chittagong, the government has fixed the meters of fare in CNG-run baby taxis in Dhaka from the very beginning.
Earlier, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) had ordered the CNG-run baby taxis in the port city to set up the fare meters. The BRTA has published an advertisement in newspapers and issued a notice to the Chittagong City Auto Rickshaw and Mini Bus Owners’ Association and organisations concerned in this regard. Although more than five years have elapsed after the order, nothing has changed since then.
Sources said the baby taxis have also became a security concern as they were often used by hardened criminals for committing crimes in the port city. A group of criminals use the taxis to dupe and kill lonely passengers in secluded places. Law enforcement agencies of the port city are yet to take any effective steps, though there has been a spurt in such crimes recently.
-With The Independent input
