The Dhaka CNG-run Auto-rickshaw Workers Coordinating Council on Thursday called on vehicle owners to adhere to the government-set daily charge of Tk 900.
In a joint statement on Thursday Convener Md Zakir Hossain and Member Secretary Mohammad Hanif Khokon said that the government initially fixed the daily deposit at Tk 900 on November 1, 2015. While the owners complied for around seven to eight months, they eventually started raising the charges on various pretexts.
Despite repeated appeals, the government has not revised the metered fare for CNG-run autorickshaws over the past 11 years, the statement said. As a result, drivers are often forced to demand higher fares from passengers to meet the owners` increasing demands. Consequently, BRTA`s mobile courts and traffic sergeants have penalized drivers with fines and jail sentences.
Tensions escalated after the current interim government assumed power, with drivers blocking roads in several areas of the capital, including Khilgaon, Rampura, Badda, and Sayedabad, to press their demands.
The BRTA chairman has since intervened, urging both parties to remain patient and assured that efforts will be made to resolve the deposit issue. He also requested that owners show leniency towards drivers due to the current shortage of passengers.
In light of this, the council urged CNG drivers to remain calm and called on the authorities to refrain from imposing fines, jail sentences, or filing cases against drivers until the metered fares are re-evaluated.
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