Home ›› 22 Nov 2021 ›› News
The rising diesel price has shot up the fare of all modes of diesel-run public vehicles including other alternative means of transport including CNG-run auto-rickshaws, ridesharing bikes and cars.
Yet, by a great surprise, the city’s pedal-run three-wheelers are no more an exception nowadays as the rickshaw pullers are now charging their passengers an inflated fare apparently in competition with the fare hike of other modes of transportations.
Rickshaw pullers, who don’t need any sort of fuel to ply on the city streets, however, argued that they are bound to charge extra fare as the prices of all essential commodities are going through the roof following the recent fuel price hike.
It was around 11 a.m. at Mirpur Pallabi Bus Stand, a private bank official was seen quarreling with a 50 plus aged rickshaw puller Rohomot Kabir.
The two were arguing over the fare from Mirpur 10 to Pallabi.
As Rohomot charged Tk 60 to ride the banker for the destination, the latter asked, “Why are you asking for an extra fare while the actual fare is Tk 50 only?”
Whenever the quarrel was over after more than five minutes, this correspondent asked the rickshaw puller why he was demanding extra fare.
“Brother, what should I say and who should I say to about our sorrows?” he posed a question in reply.
“Everything is now getting expensive, including our regular food items. The government has increased the fare of buses and other transport in the name of fuel price hike, but what about us?” said Rohomot, a father of three.
He also questioned: “Who will think about us and increase our fare accordingly for our survival?”
A good number of customers, who generally use rickshaws for their everyday ride, have, however, complained that rickshaw fares have suddenly increased by Tk 10-Tk 15 per ride.
“Earlier, I used to travel by rickshaws from Panthapath to New Market almost every week with only Tk 60. But now I have to pay Tk 70 for the same destination,” said Samsul Alamin, a small businessman of New Market.
Meanwhile, some rickshaw pullers also alleged that they were also forced to increase the fare as the owners increased the daily deposit money, apart from the hike of essential commodities.
While talking to The Business Post, Jatiya Rickshaw-Van Sramik League general secretary Insur Ali said, “The diesel price has been increased as people were getting back to their normal life from the Covid-19 fallout.”
“As the transport cost has increased because of the fuel price hike, the prices of all essentials in the kitchen market have also gone up. This situation has forced the rickshaw pullers to increase their fare to survive.”
“Bus and other transport owners tactfully increased their own fare. But, there is nobody for us to increase our fare. That’s why, the rickshaw pullers themselves hiked their fare,” he added.
This means of transport is comfortable for lower and middle-class people of the capital for their everyday movement though it is not at all comfortable for them when the fares go up.
While visiting several areas of the capital, it was found that the rickshaw fare from Dhanmondi-Shankar to New market was Tk 40-45 in October, which is now Tk 55-Tk 60. It was around Tk 20-Tk 25 from Elephant Road signal to Katabon, which is now Tk 30.
Similarly, the fare from Mirpur 10 to Agargaon was Tk60-70, which has now become Tk 80 or above. Increased rickshaw fare was also noticed in several other areas and routes of the capital.
Samsul Ali, a rickshaw puller in Motijheel area, told The Business Post that they had no other alternative but to hike their fare in the wake of increasing prices of vegetables and other daily essentials.
