‘Raise number of CNG autos to 50,000 to end fare chaos’
FE Online Report | Monday, 9 November 2015
Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB) has urged the government to implement CNG Auto Rickshaw Service Rules 2007, increase the number of autos from present 13,000 to 50,000, and take specific actions against hike of daily deposit by of auto-owners.
“The chaos over CNG-run auto-rickshaw fare will not end, if the number of vehicles is not increased. The root cause of the present disorder is presence of lesser number of rickshaws than passengers need in the cities,” said PWAB secretary general Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury in a roundtable.
PWAB organised the discussion - ‘Rise of fare and deposit of CNG-run auto-rickshaw: Prevention of disorder in the sector’ - at National Press Club on Monday.
The PWAB secretary general presented nine-point proposals in his keynote paper to end the anarchy, prevailing in the sector.
The proposals also include coordinated monitoring comprising all stakeholders, preventing plying unlicensed auto-rickshaws on the city roads, and stopping meter tempering of CNG-run autos.
He also said it is a matter of grave concern that some 175 private cars are being added on the city roads every day, but not a single auto or minibus has been approved for public transportation for the last 12 years.
The keynote paper also said the government has increased 60 per cent fare without consulting passengers.
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) secretary Muhammad Showkat Ali, former lawmaker Golam Mawla Rony, joint commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Traffic) Banoj Kumar Majumder, Bangladesh Communist Party (CPB) leader Ahsan Habib Labu, Bangladesh Somajtantrik Dal central committee member Rajekuzzaman Ratan, Gonosonghoti Andolon chief coordinator Zonayed Saki, Dhaka City CNG Auto-rickshaw Owners Association president Barkatullah Bulu, and Dhaka Mohanagar CNG Auto-rickshaw Malik Sromik Oikya Porishod convener Hanif Khokon also spoke in the meeting.
The BRTA secretary said the latest fare hike was aimed at bringing order to the sector. BRTA will do everything to control the disorder in the sector.
He also said the government is going to amend the BRTA act to bring in necessary and time-befitting changes.
He also urged everybody to participate in the act amendment process by giving their opinions over its draft online.