Conversation with a CNG driver

City CorrespondentCommuters of Dhaka City regularly face many and varied problems. When it comes to CNG three-wheelers or taxicabs, however, the problems become intense.

One is in a hurry but is hindered by the noncompliance of CNG and cab drivers. This is an everyday ordeal for commuters. Though the rules are clearthe drivers are bound to go wherever a commuter wantsthe rules seem of no importance to the drivers themselves.

Whenever and wherever a passenger wants to go to the common answers from drivers are: "I have run out of gas" or "I waited for five hours to fill the gas tank." And the inevitable then follows: "So please give me extra bucks in addition to the fare... or I won't travel such short distances!"

Recently, a passenger was more bewildered than usual when faced with a new excuse from a CNG driver. Initially the passenger complied with all of the driver's terms and conditions and started the journey.

During the initial conversation the driver had said, "My meter is faulty."

So the passenger asked why he didn't fix it? "I refuse to fix it any more," replied the CNG driver.

Why? Apparently many of the city's CNG drivers have decided to get rid of the metered system altogether. "Within a few months, we will enforce this decision," stated the driver.

The reason behind their decision, he said, was that "we cannot earn hardly any money these days after the installation of this meter. The meter rates are not in our favour." The CNG crisis in the city has made the situation worse, the driver added.

"We don't have any option but to get rid of the meters, because we barely subsist on our present meagre incomes."

New life for city's community centres

Sultana RahmanDhaka City Corporation (DCC) has decided to extend the uses of its community centres, including cultural programmes and training. DCC hope to implement this decision from September this year.

The city's mayor, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, announced the decision in a meeting held at the end of last month.

He stressed that promoting the interests and well-being of children and youths of the city was the basis for the project.

Utilising the present infrastructure of 38 DCC owned community centres, these will be adopted as coaching centres or academies of dancing, singing and other cultural activities.

At present, these community centres are used only for marriage ceremonies, birthday parties and so on.

Commuters face unease

Akbar HossainFor commuters who travel the Mirpur Road from Mirpur Section 1 to Azimpur, the shortage of public transport is creating a serious problem.

The stretch of the road between Gabtoli and Russell Square became off-limit to rickshaws from January this year to ease traffic congestion but the authorities still haven't arranged sufficient alternative modes of transportation for the general public.

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) gave route permit to Metrolink bus service, a sister concern of Navana Group and around 40 buses of Metrolink now ply the route. But Metrolink is the only 'decent' bus service available and its numbers still fall short of the need.

There are enough local minibuses but the middle-class and particularly women, are reluctant to travel by them for their dilapidated condition, over-crowding and claustrophobic interior.

Because of this, there are very long queues at the Metrolink stoppages throughout the day.

"I have to wait in the queue for at least half an hour to board a bus," said Kabir Hossain whose office is located in Dhanmondi.

Kabir said the fear of being pickpocketed prevents him from taking a local bus.

Shammi, a student of Eden Girls College also complained about the long delay in queues. She said that the women prefer not to travel by local buses, as they are often victims of physical harassment by passengers and the attendants.

"We have little option other than taking the Metrolink as there are no other similar services from Mirpur to Azimpur. Besides, Mirpur is basically a middle-class dominated area so it's hard for the public to travel by a CNG taxi or cab everyday," adds Shammi.

Students bear the brunt of the transport scarcity more than others. There are significant numbers of important educational institutions including the Dhaka College, City College, Home Economics College and Eden Girls College beside the route and a good proportion of their students come from Mirpur, Kallyanpur, Shymoli, Sobhanbag and Sukrabad.

Even staffs of the Metrolink acknowledge the difficulties of the commuters.

" It is impossible for Metrolink alone to deal with such a huge volume of passengers. The government should create more provisions for transports on this route," said a supervisor of Metrolink preferring anonymity.

When contacted Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) Chairman Taimur Alam Khondokar said that the BRTC would introduce 20 double-decker buses for the Mirpur Azimpur route soon but he failed to say when exactly.