Improving taxicab service
Friday, 13 July 2007
SUFFERINGS of the city commuters are increasing day by day in absence of real passenger-friendly taxicab service. Innumerable reports were published on the bad condition of this important service in the capital city. But hardly any positive change in the service has been observed.
It has been reported that more than 40 per cent taxicabs plying in the city streets have already gone out of order while the condition of the remaining ones is terrible. Although different stakeholders have pointed out the problems for which the service has deteriorated, no pragmatic decision is yet to come to give comfort to the commuters.
We all see what is the state of the vehicles whether it is black one or yellow one. For having this situation, the owners blame the drivers for their reckless driving. The drivers, on the other hand, accuse the former for importing unfit vehicles as these low engine capacity vehicles cannot take the pressure of heavy duty of the service. But the owners claimed that they have imported the vehicles of 800 cc as per Taxicab Service Regulations 1998.
So the problem lies not only in the related regulation but also in planning and guidance. For public transports, engine capacity, training of drivers and vehicle maintenance are very important issues to be taken into account. At this moment, there is a need to review the entire situation and formulate a better planning for improving the taxicab service in the country. Now the government has to decide what would be the fate of more than 4000 inoperative vehicles as well as poor-conditioned ones. It has to give the guidelines for the existing 18 taxicab companies what they should do with these unfit vehicles which is numbering more than 10,000 vehicles and how they plan their business in the coming days. All should have to be from the sense of providing real service to the commuters and sustainable point of view.
Sirajul Islam
Shahbagh
Dhaka
It has been reported that more than 40 per cent taxicabs plying in the city streets have already gone out of order while the condition of the remaining ones is terrible. Although different stakeholders have pointed out the problems for which the service has deteriorated, no pragmatic decision is yet to come to give comfort to the commuters.
We all see what is the state of the vehicles whether it is black one or yellow one. For having this situation, the owners blame the drivers for their reckless driving. The drivers, on the other hand, accuse the former for importing unfit vehicles as these low engine capacity vehicles cannot take the pressure of heavy duty of the service. But the owners claimed that they have imported the vehicles of 800 cc as per Taxicab Service Regulations 1998.
So the problem lies not only in the related regulation but also in planning and guidance. For public transports, engine capacity, training of drivers and vehicle maintenance are very important issues to be taken into account. At this moment, there is a need to review the entire situation and formulate a better planning for improving the taxicab service in the country. Now the government has to decide what would be the fate of more than 4000 inoperative vehicles as well as poor-conditioned ones. It has to give the guidelines for the existing 18 taxicab companies what they should do with these unfit vehicles which is numbering more than 10,000 vehicles and how they plan their business in the coming days. All should have to be from the sense of providing real service to the commuters and sustainable point of view.
Sirajul Islam
Shahbagh
Dhaka