Welcome new taxi service

At long last, the taxicab service is there in the city after a long gap. The prime minister inaugurated the new taxicab service. It is surprising that a capital city with an area of over 900 square kilometre and having a population of over ten million did not have any taxi service. If the taxi service works well, many would not be interested to take their personal transports out to the busy city streets.
Though we heard that two organisations would operate a total of 500 taxis in the capital city and another 150 in Chittagong; we were disappointed to hear that only 46 air conditioned taxi cabs were pressed into service on the inaugural day on Tuesday last. However, officials on the inaugural day were quoted as saying that every month 46 to 50 cabs would be added to the fleet. We are not unhappy; let it be so-- better late than never.
Attempts were taken in the past to introduce taxicab service in the city, but ultimately failed. Passengers have bitter experiences of them. The most astringent is that the drivers would not agree to go on meter, and to the desired destination of the passengers. It is the driver's wish where he would go, and the fare, however unjust it is, would be decided by the drivers. No one was there to see and take actions against such anarchy.
The fare, though it sounds too exorbitant, has also been decided-Taka 85 for the first two kilometers, and Taka 34 for the subsequent kilometres.
Whatever is the fare, two things must be decisive, firstly, whatever be the distance or direction of the passenger's destination, the driver must not say 'no'; and secondly, the driver must run on meter, whatever amount the meter reads, that must be final. This is a universally followed practice.
We urge the authority to be uncompromising and remain rigid on these two issues. Alongside this, there must not be any unholy alliance between the greedy driver and the corrupt members of the law enforcing agencies. Otherwise this much talked-about and highly publicised sincere endeavour is bound to collapse.  

Nurun Nahar
Eskaton Garden Road, Dhaka