Autorickshaw drivers, who have long faced criticism for not taking passengers to their destinations and charging exorbitant prices, say app-based transport services have made it difficult for them to earn a livelihood.
Given the situation, the drivers have demanded an end to the extra rent charged by autorickshaw owners. Some say if this state of affairs continues, they will be forced to leave the profession and return to their hometowns.
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority Chairman Md Moshiar Rahman says the situation is the fault of the autorickshaw drivers themselves.
“If they used metered fares and went to their passengers’ destinations, people would use them,” he told said on Sunday. “Instead, they abuse it. They haven’t learned, even after so many fines and jail sentences.”
Two years ago, the government set the fare per kilometre travelled and the daily deposit to owners in order to bring order to transport services with the consent of drivers and owners. Despite a near-doubling of the fare in the process, drivers soon became unwilling to charge only metered fares.
The introduction of app-based service ‘Uber’ to Dhaka a few months ago has resulted in increased demand for travel by car. A number of other ride services, including Pathao, Cholo, Share A Motorcycle (SAM), Amar Bike, Amar Ride and Moyur, have also become popular.
The CNG Autorickshaw Workers Union Council has announced a strike in Dhaka and Chittagong from Nov 27 over a list of demands that include the banning of app-based transport services.
In response, many have taken to Facebook, expressing their anger at autorickshaw drivers and owners and calling for a boycott of autorickshaws.
“Before this we were held hostage by the CNG drivers,” Mogbazar area resident Faisal Siddique said. “We had to pay the fares because we had no choice.”
“Since the ride-sharing apps started we have many options. They come when we need them. The fare is affordable. This is why they are surpassing the autorickshaws in popularity.”
Pathao says it has nearly 500,000 users.
“We haven’t been making any money since those services came in,” autorickshaw driver Shafiqul Alam is quoted by bdnews24 as saying.
“All the passengers use motorcycles or cars now. They only use CNGs when they are desperate. Some days we make Tk 200-300 after deposits. Some days we don’t even make that. The owners don’t lower the deposit either.”
Abdul Halim, another autorickshaw driver, said he had been waiting on Kuril Biswa Road for nearly an hour and had not found a passenger.
“As you can see, there are no fares,” he said. “After deposits I only make about Tk 250 a day. We pay Tk 5,000 in rent and then have to pay for food. It’s not enough. If this continues I will take my family home to our village.”
“The owners are currently taking a Tk 1,000 deposit,” autorickshaw driver Ashraful Alam said. “If they could lower it by even Tk 300, it would still be possible. We could then make the kinds of trips the Uber drivers make. We won’t be able to survive if they don’t lower the deposits.”
Though they acknowledge that fewer people are using autorickshaws since the apps became popular, owners say they are unwilling to lower the deposits.
“We are not lowering our rent right now,” Dhaka Metropolitan Autorickshaw Owners Association President Barkat Ullah Bulu said. “We are hoping the drivers make more trips.”
“We have filed a petition with the High Court against illegally operated autorickshaws. The number of rides will increase once these are off the streets.”