Taxicab policy aims at making transport convenient
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Doulot Akter Mala
The government will incorporate a number of measures in its taxicab policy-2008 aiming to make the transport convenient to passengers and facilitate its service across the country, officials said Saturday.
The policy also aims to resolve shortage of taxicabs and offer incentives to the loss-making taxicab owners.
The ministry of communications is devising strategies to patronise the service by establishing a separate wing for transportation, the officials said.
It is considering formation of a monitoring cell comprising representatives from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Police and taxicab companies, he added.
The government will cancel road permit or licence of driver if the law enforcing agencies find any driver involved in metre tempering, the official said.
Taxicab service might get road permit for plying across the country instead of a particular city, he said.
Abdul Mannan Chowdhury Khosru, president of Bangladesh Association of Taxicab Operators (BATCO), said: "The policy will streamline the service and bring discipline in the business."
There were a total of 11,000 taxicabs in 2003, which declined to 700-800 currently due to lack of a proper guideline, he said.
Passengers often complain about insecurity and rampant cheating in the service as there is no policy to refrain the corrupt drivers from this practice, he said.
The BATCO has requested the government to form a tripartite monitoring cell with BRTA, police and taxicab companies, which the government is actively considering, he said.
The caretaker government has started the ground work of the policy in 2005, but it is yet to get a complete structure, he said.
The association has demanded the government to allow 1950 cc for dedicated taxicab and change its colour to green instead of yellow or black.
It also demanded to extend economic life to 12 years for normal taxicab while 15 years for dedicated taxicab.
Meanwhile, the ministry of communication has decided to give duty-waiver on import of taxicab for all metropolitan cities.
Currently, taxicabs plying in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet have been imported duty-free.
From now on, rest of the metropolitan cities--Khulna, Rajshahi and Barisal will get the same duty-waiver facility on import of taxicab.
The government will incorporate a number of measures in its taxicab policy-2008 aiming to make the transport convenient to passengers and facilitate its service across the country, officials said Saturday.
The policy also aims to resolve shortage of taxicabs and offer incentives to the loss-making taxicab owners.
The ministry of communications is devising strategies to patronise the service by establishing a separate wing for transportation, the officials said.
It is considering formation of a monitoring cell comprising representatives from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Police and taxicab companies, he added.
The government will cancel road permit or licence of driver if the law enforcing agencies find any driver involved in metre tempering, the official said.
Taxicab service might get road permit for plying across the country instead of a particular city, he said.
Abdul Mannan Chowdhury Khosru, president of Bangladesh Association of Taxicab Operators (BATCO), said: "The policy will streamline the service and bring discipline in the business."
There were a total of 11,000 taxicabs in 2003, which declined to 700-800 currently due to lack of a proper guideline, he said.
Passengers often complain about insecurity and rampant cheating in the service as there is no policy to refrain the corrupt drivers from this practice, he said.
The BATCO has requested the government to form a tripartite monitoring cell with BRTA, police and taxicab companies, which the government is actively considering, he said.
The caretaker government has started the ground work of the policy in 2005, but it is yet to get a complete structure, he said.
The association has demanded the government to allow 1950 cc for dedicated taxicab and change its colour to green instead of yellow or black.
It also demanded to extend economic life to 12 years for normal taxicab while 15 years for dedicated taxicab.
Meanwhile, the ministry of communication has decided to give duty-waiver on import of taxicab for all metropolitan cities.
Currently, taxicabs plying in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet have been imported duty-free.
From now on, rest of the metropolitan cities--Khulna, Rajshahi and Barisal will get the same duty-waiver facility on import of taxicab.