Fare hike and anarchy in transport sector
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Shahiduzzaman Khan
Anarchy is now prevailing in the country's transport sector following hike in fuel oil and compared natural gas (CNG) prices. All kinds of transport -- buses, mini-buses, trucks, CNG three-wheelers -- have raised fares according to their own whims, giving a damn to the government fixed fares after the oil and gas prices were revised upward. According to the revised fares, per kilometre bus and minibus fares have been proposed at Tk 1.45 and Tk 1.55 respectively. The fares of inter-district and long-haul diesel driven buses and minibuses were readjusted at Tk 1.15, a hike from Tk 0.94. The minimum fare of passenger buses has been fixed at Tk 07, a two-taka hike from the previous Tk 05 of 2008. CNG-run auto-rickshaws fare has also been increased to Tk 7.50 from Tk 7.00 a kilometre while waiting charge to Tk 1.30 from Tk 1.25 a minute. The fare of minibus has been increased to Tk 1.45 a kilometre from Tk 1.10 while that of bus to Tk 1.55 from Tk 1.20 a kilometre. Almost everyday, passengers and conductors of the buses and mini-buses are locked in hot exchange of words which are leading even to clashes. Passengers are not happy with the fares being charged by the buses. They say transport owners are violating the government fixed fares. Bus owners say the government has ignored their demand for a substantial fare hike and as such, they are not ready to accept the fares fixed by the government. In fact, the government revised the fares in a meeting where all transport owners association leaders were present. Leaders of transport owners' association agreed with the government that they would not charge increased fares until the new rates come into force. The communication minister even threatened to cancel the route permit of the buses that would charge extra money from the passengers. But his threat was blatantly ignored soon after the revised fare hike was enforced. Until the hike in fuel oil and gas prices, the CNG three-wheelers, barring a few incidents, followed the meter reading to some extent. In some cases, they requested for extra Tk. 10 or 20 in addition to normal charges. With the hike, they are refusing to go by meter-reading and charging almost double the meter-amount. CNG three-wheelers are the most affordable means of transport for the middle class people. With the gas price hike, it is going beyond their affordability as well. The government is yet to readjust their meters in line with CNG price hike. Until it is done, the drivers will continue to charge exorbitant fares. On its part, the government is trying to restore discipline by deploying law-enforcing agencies headed by magistrates. Following widespread complaints in the media, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) took the action which led to seize some errant buses and mini-buses. Some of the buses were sent to the dumping ground. According to the magistrate courts, a number of buses of Bengal, Nishorgo and Shikor companies were sent to the dumping ground as those were not only taking increased fares but also were running without route permits. Excess fares realised from the passengers were returned. But the government action was confined to some limited points and continued for only a couple of days. Only one or two magistrates were available to conduct the drive in the city where thousands of vehicles run daily. Bus and mini-bus operators are apparently taking advantage of the lax government attitude. Successive governments have failed to formulate a comprehensive policy for mass transport, facing opposition from powerful rackets with direct or indirect interests in transport business. Frequent changes in decisions and lack of coordination among ministries and departments concerned have left the city's transport system in disarray for years. Besides, inference by influential people, especially politicians, and extortions kept on obstructing development of the sector. No unified policy for mass transport could be formulated as those supposed to do so are directly or indirectly involved in it. Whenever a party comes to power, their men take control of the transport sector to make money through extortions and toll collection. Several agreements have been signed between the government and the transport owners, but none of those was implemented. In 2005, the then BNP government decided not to allow small transports like minibus and human hauler in the capital, but the present government cancelled the decision in 2009. Also, a decision to form a body of the transport owners to discipline the sector is yet to be implemented. However, the government has pledged to launch a bigger drive to implement the new bus and CNG-three-wheeler fares in the capital upon persistent demand of the passengers who were being subjected to over charging for their travels in the city. The BRTA has prepared a fare chart which is expected to provide clear-cut direction about fares of different transport vehicles. This chart will be given to the vehicle owners before the drive is launched. The owners would be urged to put on display the fare charts in every bus and at bus stops so that people can know the fares. The authority will also ask for five to seven magistrates from the Dhaka district administration to conduct special drives in order to punish the errant buses and auto-rickshaws. As has been stated earlier, it is really hard to implement decision in transport sector until the government pays special attention to the sector. Although the present Awami League government is importing buses to minimise the city's increasing transport woes, the private companies are withdrawing themselves from the business to make the problem more complicated. Four separate committees formed by the communications ministry to identify problems in the transport sector and to suggest possible solutions are not functioning at all. The regulator in the transport sector -- BRTA -- is having a serious manpower shortage. Bedevilled with widespread irregularities, the authority is failing to perform the tasks bestowed upon it. There are allegations that old and outmoded vehicles, unfit for running, are passing fitness test through bribing. A section of the unscrupulous officials and employees issue fake licences to the drivers in exchange of speed money. These unskilled drivers are responsible for frequent accidents and creating hazardous traffic jams on the roads. Traffic gridlocks occur regularly for violating lane rules by the uneducated drivers. No action can be taken due to shortage of magistrates and availability of security personnel on time. Here the role of the law-enforcing agencies in enforcing traffic discipline is also questionable. Members of the agencies deployed at various inter-sections were found to realise tolls from buses and trucks. Instead of enforcing discipline, these people -- traffic police and sergeants included -- are engaged in such kind of unethical practice. This scenario is evident in almost all parts of the country. There is none to take action against these people as they always remain off-guarded. Due to dearth of counter-surveillance activities, the government is unable to take action against them. szkhan@dhaka.net
Anarchy is now prevailing in the country's transport sector following hike in fuel oil and compared natural gas (CNG) prices. All kinds of transport -- buses, mini-buses, trucks, CNG three-wheelers -- have raised fares according to their own whims, giving a damn to the government fixed fares after the oil and gas prices were revised upward. According to the revised fares, per kilometre bus and minibus fares have been proposed at Tk 1.45 and Tk 1.55 respectively. The fares of inter-district and long-haul diesel driven buses and minibuses were readjusted at Tk 1.15, a hike from Tk 0.94. The minimum fare of passenger buses has been fixed at Tk 07, a two-taka hike from the previous Tk 05 of 2008. CNG-run auto-rickshaws fare has also been increased to Tk 7.50 from Tk 7.00 a kilometre while waiting charge to Tk 1.30 from Tk 1.25 a minute. The fare of minibus has been increased to Tk 1.45 a kilometre from Tk 1.10 while that of bus to Tk 1.55 from Tk 1.20 a kilometre. Almost everyday, passengers and conductors of the buses and mini-buses are locked in hot exchange of words which are leading even to clashes. Passengers are not happy with the fares being charged by the buses. They say transport owners are violating the government fixed fares. Bus owners say the government has ignored their demand for a substantial fare hike and as such, they are not ready to accept the fares fixed by the government. In fact, the government revised the fares in a meeting where all transport owners association leaders were present. Leaders of transport owners' association agreed with the government that they would not charge increased fares until the new rates come into force. The communication minister even threatened to cancel the route permit of the buses that would charge extra money from the passengers. But his threat was blatantly ignored soon after the revised fare hike was enforced. Until the hike in fuel oil and gas prices, the CNG three-wheelers, barring a few incidents, followed the meter reading to some extent. In some cases, they requested for extra Tk. 10 or 20 in addition to normal charges. With the hike, they are refusing to go by meter-reading and charging almost double the meter-amount. CNG three-wheelers are the most affordable means of transport for the middle class people. With the gas price hike, it is going beyond their affordability as well. The government is yet to readjust their meters in line with CNG price hike. Until it is done, the drivers will continue to charge exorbitant fares. On its part, the government is trying to restore discipline by deploying law-enforcing agencies headed by magistrates. Following widespread complaints in the media, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) took the action which led to seize some errant buses and mini-buses. Some of the buses were sent to the dumping ground. According to the magistrate courts, a number of buses of Bengal, Nishorgo and Shikor companies were sent to the dumping ground as those were not only taking increased fares but also were running without route permits. Excess fares realised from the passengers were returned. But the government action was confined to some limited points and continued for only a couple of days. Only one or two magistrates were available to conduct the drive in the city where thousands of vehicles run daily. Bus and mini-bus operators are apparently taking advantage of the lax government attitude. Successive governments have failed to formulate a comprehensive policy for mass transport, facing opposition from powerful rackets with direct or indirect interests in transport business. Frequent changes in decisions and lack of coordination among ministries and departments concerned have left the city's transport system in disarray for years. Besides, inference by influential people, especially politicians, and extortions kept on obstructing development of the sector. No unified policy for mass transport could be formulated as those supposed to do so are directly or indirectly involved in it. Whenever a party comes to power, their men take control of the transport sector to make money through extortions and toll collection. Several agreements have been signed between the government and the transport owners, but none of those was implemented. In 2005, the then BNP government decided not to allow small transports like minibus and human hauler in the capital, but the present government cancelled the decision in 2009. Also, a decision to form a body of the transport owners to discipline the sector is yet to be implemented. However, the government has pledged to launch a bigger drive to implement the new bus and CNG-three-wheeler fares in the capital upon persistent demand of the passengers who were being subjected to over charging for their travels in the city. The BRTA has prepared a fare chart which is expected to provide clear-cut direction about fares of different transport vehicles. This chart will be given to the vehicle owners before the drive is launched. The owners would be urged to put on display the fare charts in every bus and at bus stops so that people can know the fares. The authority will also ask for five to seven magistrates from the Dhaka district administration to conduct special drives in order to punish the errant buses and auto-rickshaws. As has been stated earlier, it is really hard to implement decision in transport sector until the government pays special attention to the sector. Although the present Awami League government is importing buses to minimise the city's increasing transport woes, the private companies are withdrawing themselves from the business to make the problem more complicated. Four separate committees formed by the communications ministry to identify problems in the transport sector and to suggest possible solutions are not functioning at all. The regulator in the transport sector -- BRTA -- is having a serious manpower shortage. Bedevilled with widespread irregularities, the authority is failing to perform the tasks bestowed upon it. There are allegations that old and outmoded vehicles, unfit for running, are passing fitness test through bribing. A section of the unscrupulous officials and employees issue fake licences to the drivers in exchange of speed money. These unskilled drivers are responsible for frequent accidents and creating hazardous traffic jams on the roads. Traffic gridlocks occur regularly for violating lane rules by the uneducated drivers. No action can be taken due to shortage of magistrates and availability of security personnel on time. Here the role of the law-enforcing agencies in enforcing traffic discipline is also questionable. Members of the agencies deployed at various inter-sections were found to realise tolls from buses and trucks. Instead of enforcing discipline, these people -- traffic police and sergeants included -- are engaged in such kind of unethical practice. This scenario is evident in almost all parts of the country. There is none to take action against these people as they always remain off-guarded. Due to dearth of counter-surveillance activities, the government is unable to take action against them. szkhan@dhaka.net