The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Although rickshaw fare has increased unusually in the last few years in the city, Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) did not find it necessary to implement a fare chart for the benefit of the commuters till now.

In the absence of a fare chart rickshawpullers demand fare at will, leading to regular arguments with the passengers on the city streets.

Rickshaw users, DCC officials and leaders of the rickshaw owners' associations said that rickshaw fare has almost doubled in the last two years.

The rickshaw fare for a distance of between Shantinagar and Motijheel was Tk 10 to Tk 12 a year ago but now it is Tk 25, said a resident of Shantinagar area who regularly uses rickshaw.

"If a passenger hires a rickshaw without fixing the fare beforehand, he or she has to suffer at the end of the travel when the rickshawpuller nags for higher fare," he said.

The DCC and the rickshaw owners' associations remain silent over the issue of fixing a fare chart for this essential mode of transport.

In 1982-83, DCC fixed rickshaw fare at Tk 1 for each kilometre and planned to implement a fare chart but the chart did not see the light of the day. After that, DCC did not take any step to control rickshaw fare spiral. Now rickshaw fare in the city is on the average Tk 8 to Tk 10 per kilometre.

For about four kilometres distance between Motijheel and Jatrabari, the rickshawpullers charge at least Tk 30 while for the same distance between Dainik Bangla crossing and New Market, the pullers demand between Tk 35 and Tk 40.

According to the Traffic Control and Public Transport Regulation approved in 1973, the DCC is mandated to fixing and upgrading fare charts for the non-motorised vehicles.

The DCC is supposed to publish such charts and distribute among the pullers who should carry the fare chart along with other documents.

Sayed Jahangir, Chief of the Wheel Tax Department of DCC, said, "The fixed rickshaw fare chart is too unfair to implement now. No puller would follow the chart if it remains Tk 1 for a kilometre. The fare chart should be upgraded before implementation."

The Wheel Tax Department would inform the higher authority about the issue, he added.

Monwarul Islam, a rickshawpuller, said, "The fare of Tk 1 for a kilometre is now absurd. It was fixed more than 20 years ago. Moreover, daily deposit for rickshaw is increasing day by day. It was between Tk 40 and 50 two years ago and now it is over Tk 80."

"It would be inhuman for rickshawpullers if the present price of essentials are not considered while fixing a rickshaw fare chart," he also said.

Bangladesh Rickshaw O Van Pullers and Owners Oikya Parishad, an umbrella organisation of the rickshawpullers' and owners' associations in the city also seem to be indifferent to the fare issue.

Fazlur Rahman, Convenor of the Parishad, said that they had talked unofficially with the DCC over the issue but the DCC officials did not show any interest. Asked why they did not demand it officially, he said, "Actually none takes this issue seriously."

Strategic Transport Planning (STP), the latest transport programme for the city, reveals that rickshaws carry about 34 per cent of the daily passengers. "An uncontrolled fare of such a huge mode of transport must have some adverse impacts on the users and they will suffer," said a transport expert, who worked as a planner.