CNG run auto-rickshaws provide the modest transport facility to the city dwellers. A report published in a national daily on Tuesday exposed the high corruption centering the BRTA over its licensing system. It said the showroom price of an imported auto-rickshaw is at Tk. 4.19 lakhs but a buyer has to pay about Tk 14 lakhs for it. It is scandalous and raising transport fare several times higher. A powerful syndicate made up of ruling party men, police, BRTA officials and others are routinely gobbling up Taka 10 lakhs in between. One has to pay this enormous excess money only to have a registration number from BRTA officially costing only Tk.1300. But there is no visible explanation why a person has to pay so much more which has made buying of a auto-rickshaw impossible by ordinary people who want to ply it in city streets to make a livelihood. To make a comparison, people may buy a reconditioned car now at the cost they are asked to pay for a commercial auto-rickshaw. Very interesting is that as against the green colour auto rickshaw for commercial use, the same vehicular in white grey paint meant for private use sells only at Tk 5 lakhs including BRTA registration fees. It means a person buying the vehicular for commercial purpose, has to make an excess payment of Tk 10 lakhs to the syndicate as advance share of income from whoever wants to commercially run it. As per the newspaper disclosure various BRTA committees, transport associations and trade union leaders from the ground level to Cabinet Ministers are the beneficiaries of the illegal payment. The sole importing agency also has to make payment to run the business. One can remember that when the yellow colour auto-rickshaws were withdrawn from the city streets two decades ago to replace them with environment friendly CNG run auto-rickshaws, old auto drivers were put on priority list to get the new vehicle. It sold at around Tk 2 lakhs inclusive of registration fees. But very quickly powerful rent seekers took hold of the business when the syndicate also made its debut. CNG auto-rickshaw prices had since sky rocketed. Professional drivers now take auto-rickshaw on lease at exorbitant rates. Home sitting owners now thrive on drivers’ sweat while drivers demand several times higher rates from passengers to make their living. Meanwhile, some people are also illegally plying private auto-rickshaws commercially in city streets on regular payment to police sergeants. Auto-rickshaw transport in city streets is now controlled by various syndicates in which drivers and passengers are hapless victims. BRTA is acting as their facilitator rather bringing discipline to the chaotic city traffic- be it auto rickshaws or passengers’ bus running without fitness. We must say the cost of auto-rickshaw must be pulled down to the reach of the common people by wiping out the syndicate operating centering the BRTA and the regulatory agency must face its own crack down to discipline itself.
