Anisul Islam Noor :
The economic lifetime of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) run auto-rickshaws will be extended for four more years subject to fulfilling of some conditions in line with the BUET engineers’ recommendation.
The decision was taken in a meeting attended by the leaders of Dhaka City CNG Auto-rickshaw Malik Samiti Oikyo Parishad, Communications Minister Obaidul Quader and the officials of Bangladesh Roads Transport Authority (BRTA) on Wednesday.
Sources said that the communication ministry in principle agreed to increase the economic lifetime of CNG run baby taxies. A committee has been formed in this regard. Obaidul Quader announced that four representatives from CNG Baby Taxi Malik Samity and three from BRTA will be in the seven-member committee.
The communications minister Obaidul Quader said the demand for raising the fare of their three-wheelers was not accepted. “It’s necessary first to be sure that the passengers are paying fare as per the meter,” he added.
The CNG auto-rickshaw owners are taking Tk 900 as daily deposit for each vehicle, violating the government’s rule. Moreover, most of the autos run without valid meters.
Abdul Hakim, a baby taxi driver told this reporter, he has to pay Tk900 as daily deposit, after meeting fuel charge and other expenses amounting to Tk1400. For this reason, the drivers are reluctant to use meters. Thus the owners are taking additional deposit Tk300 daily beyond the government rate of Tk600.
“If the government extends the economic lifetime of CNG for four more years, the owners will be more beneficiary instead of the workers in this sector,” Ayat Ali, another CNG baby taxi driver told The New Nation on Wednesday’s afternoon.
At the meeting, Dhaka Mahanagar CNG Auto-rickshaw Malik Shamiti Oikya Parishad demanded that the economic life time of auto-rickshaws be raised to 15 years from 11 years.
Minister said the existing rate of fare would continue until the committee on fare takes any further decision in this regard. Referring to the recommendation of BUET, the minister said overhauling of auto-rickshaw engines and its mechanical checking from approved workshops must be ensured.
Currently, more than 12,000 CNG-run auto-rickshaws, which were introduced in 2002 after banning of petrol-run ones in the capital, are plying in the Dhaka city streets, said the owners. BRTA chief Nazrul Islam told The New Nation that they were yet to take any decision about this, it need more query.
CNG auto rickshaws are now running on basis of fare rate that was re-fixed in March 2011. As per that announcement, fare for the four-stroke CNG-run auto-rickshaw’s lowest fare was fixed Tk 25. 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 was Tk 7 instead of Tk 6 and the waiting charge per minute was Tk 1.25 instead of Tk 1.
At that time, the government also re-fixed the daily deposit of the auto-rickshaw owner at Tk 600 from Tk 450.
The government warned of stern measures like cancellation of route permits and driving licences, if the owners and drivers of CNG-run auto-rickshaw violate the rules. Though the violation continues from the beginning, there was no action against it. At present, auto-rickshaw owners demanded publication of a gazette endorsing a rise of fare to Tk 40 for the first two kilometres from Tk 25 and the daily rental of Tk 900 from existing Tk 600.
Auto-rickshaw owners proposed, the fare be fixed at Tk 40 for the first two kilometres, up from Tk 25, while the charge for each subsequent kilometre will be Tk 12, which is now Tk 7.64, he said, adding that the waiting charge be Tk 2 per minute in place of Tk 1.40.
