CNG three-wheeler, taxi fares hiked

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Two days after almost doubling of the price of compressed natural gas (CNG), the government yesterday raised fares for CNG-run autorickshaws to Tk 6 a km, non-air-conditioned taxis to Tk 8 and air-conditioned (AC) taxis to Tk 10.

The minimum fare for non-AC and AC taxis were doubled from Tk 15 and Tk 20 while the autorickshaws’ minimum fare was raised to Tk 18 from Tk 13.50. The previous fare for autorickshaws, non-AC taxis and AC taxis were Tk 5.50, Tk 6 and Tk 8.

However, the CNG-run buses would not be allowed to hike their fares.

Drivers of autorickshaws and taxis would have to hang a chart of fares in their vehicles until meter calibration is completed, ATKM Ismail, additional secretary of the communications ministry, told The Daily Star last night.

The raised fares took effect from yesterday.

The communication ministry during a meeting raised the fare following recommendations made by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) yesterday.

The meeting chaired by Communication Secretary Mahbubur Rahman and attended by BRTA Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose was held at the communication ministry.

Earlier in the day, BRTA officials sat with representatives of transport owners’ and employees’ association before making their recommendations.

The BRTA officials proposed the waiting-charge for autorickshaws be fixed at Tk 0.85 per minute but the communications ministry fixed it at Tk 1.

The waiting-charges for non-AC and AC taxis were not increased since their minimum fares were doubled, Ismail said.

Asked whether the fare of CNG-run buses would increase, he said the CNG-run buses have been charging the same as diesel-run buses despite running on CNG.

This taxi-fare hike is the first since the introduction of CNG-run vehicles in 1998. The CNG-run autorickshaw fare was adjusted May 1 last year.

The government initially encouraged people to convert their vehicles to run on CNG, one of the cleaner fossil fuels. Its use became popular since price of gasoline rose in phases in domestic and global markets.

After four years, the government raised the price of a cubic metre of CNG to Tk 16.75 from Tk 8.5 Thursday in order to reduce the losses Petrobangla was incurring due to the upward trend of prices of petroleum in global market.

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