CNG-run auto-rickshaws

Affordable transport service for mid-income and low-income groups of people in the capital city is insufficient. Many of the city-dwellers have to depend on rented vehicles in order to commute which are extremely expensive. Every day they confront acute problem to move from one place to another. Auto-rickshaw fare was affordable to mid-income and low-income groups of people here two decades ago. After the 90's, the government imposed high customs duty, supplementary duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) on import of auto-rickshaws. In addition, exorbitant taxes, administrative restrictions like prior permission from the government for import and cumbersome registration procedure have made the auto-rickshaws too costly. The number of auto-rickshaws has not increased against the increase of population of the city.
Rickshaws are not allowed to ply on all the streets in Dhaka. Taxicabs are very rare. So, when one wants to go to an examination hall, attend programmes like marriage ceremonies or move patients to hospitals one needs a vehicle like CNG-run auto-rickshaw. Students, especially girl students, need auto-rickshaws to attend their colleges or universities as the public bus service is not good enough in all the areas of the capital city. The buses always remain over-crowded. Nowadays, it becomes difficult to attend office on time without a private car. Most of the people of our country don't have the financial ability to afford private cars. Easily available CNG-run auto-rickshaws could solve their problem largely. Moreover, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw occupies less than half of the space on the road compared to a taxicab.
The policy-makers have the facility of either personal or office transport. They don't realise the sufferings of the common people. They have imposed restrictions on plying CNG-run auto-rickshaws in various forms. The government has introduced a few hundred public buses through the BRTC. Those helped the commuters but public bus service can not cover all the areas of the mega city. In addition, women and children find it extremely difficult to travel by bus owing to over-crowdedness and uncivilised behaviour of many passengers.
We expected that the government would reduce import duty on CNG-run auto-rickshaws and withdraw all administrative restrictions to increase the availability of affordable auto-rickshaws in Dhaka. It is very much necessary to withdraw supplementary duty and VAT on import of CNG-run auto-rickshaw as well. We urge the ministries of finance, commerce and communications to make CNG-run auto-rickshaws available and affordable to the commuters.
Mohd Ashraf Hossain
Middle Bashabo, Dhaka
mah120cb@yahoo.com