Commuters suffer as CNG drivers ignore new fare structure

Drivers of the autorickshaws are forcing the passengers to pay additional fares in the port city following the doubling of the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).They are not following the new fare structure fixed by the government on April 26.The traffic department of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) succeeded to force the drivers use meters in their vehicles and charge the government-fixed fare since January 1.But the commuters could enjoy the benefit only for four months as the drivers stopped using the meters and increased the fare on the pretext of price hike of CNG. The government raised the price of a cubic meter of CNG to Tk 16.75 from Tk 8.50 on April 24, asking the owners and drivers of the CNG-driven transports not to increase the fares until the new rates are settled. But, the drivers made no waste of time to stop using meters and hike the fares by 50 per cent blaming the price hike of CNG.Although the government promptly raised fares for CNG-run autorickshaws and other transports to adjust with the new price of CNG, but the drivers continue to realise extra fare.Under the new fare structure, initial charge has been fixed at Tk 18 for any distance up to two kilometres as against Tk 13.50 previously. Fare for each extra kilometre has been raised to Tk 6 from Tk 5.50.But the drivers are charging higher than the government fixed fare, causing sufferings to the commuters in the port city. Sharfuddin, a passenger, said according to the new fare structure it might take not more than Tk 36 to reach Anderkilla from Choumuhani, a distance of five kilometres, but the drivers charge Tk 50 and on some occasions more than that. Passengers said the meters have neither been calibrated according to the new fare structure nor the drivers have hung any chart of fares in their vehicles.No meter was found calibrated in the autorickshaws in the city on Sunday. Besides, the drivers did not hang any price chart in their vehicles.The autorickshaw owners and drivers said they have yet to get new price chart from Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to hang it in their vehicles.Deputy Commissioner (DC) CMP (traffic) Mohammad Ali Mia said they still did not get new price chart from the BRTA. He, however, said they will take steps in this regard immediately after getting the price chart.Additional Director (AD) of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Chittagong Sheikh Md Ataullah Chowdhury said they have taken steps to publish advertisement on the new fare list in the newspapers. He said they have sent letters to the leaders of CNG-auto-rickshaw owners association and the meter installation companies to start calibration of meters immediately according to the new chart.

Dwaipayan Barua
Published On: 2008-05-08
The Daily Star