Anarchy in fares of rickshaws and taxis in Ctg
Sunday, 21 September 2008
Chittagong, Sept 16: An anarchic situation persists in the port city in the realisation of rickshaw a nd taxi fare on the plea of spiralling prices of essential commodities. This sometimes leads to unpleasant incidents between the transport drivers and the passengers.
The meters installed in the motorised vehicles has become ineffective. Invariably the drivers ask for a sum above the meter reading and on most occasions get it. There is no administrative control over the rickshaw pullers and taxi drivers and the passengers happen to be the only victims who are sometimes charged double, even triple the normal fare.
There are around 0.15 million (1.5 lakh) rickshaws in the Chittagong metropolitan area. Of them, 35 thousand hold the city corporation licence. The rest are plying in the city illegally.
Moreover,10 to 15 thousand rickshaws have been added following the Sidr cyclone as most of the homeless people coming from the affected areas are pulling rickshaws to earn their livelihood.
The meters installed in the motorised vehicles has become ineffective. Invariably the drivers ask for a sum above the meter reading and on most occasions get it. There is no administrative control over the rickshaw pullers and taxi drivers and the passengers happen to be the only victims who are sometimes charged double, even triple the normal fare.
There are around 0.15 million (1.5 lakh) rickshaws in the Chittagong metropolitan area. Of them, 35 thousand hold the city corporation licence. The rest are plying in the city illegally.
Moreover,10 to 15 thousand rickshaws have been added following the Sidr cyclone as most of the homeless people coming from the affected areas are pulling rickshaws to earn their livelihood.