The government-fixed new fare structure and drivers' daily payment to owners came into effect on Tuesday.

In a field survey on Thursday, more than 50 drivers in different city areas told this correspondent that they were compelled to pay the owners Tk 550 to Tk 600 per day while the government has now set the ceiling at Tk 450 instead of Tk 300 previously.

Drivers alleged that most autorickshaw owners in Jatrabari, Ghundighar, Mirhazirbagh, Madartek, Dhupkhola, Purba Jurain, Kafrul, Kachukhet and Lalbagh were realising Tk 600 a day from them.

They also mentioned the names of a number of owners who are ignoring the government-fixed rate.

Citing an instance, some drivers said a group of retired security men, who own autorickshaws under the banner of a company with its office near Paka Masjid Check Post in Dakkhin Kafrul, maintain two ledgers --one showing Tk 450 as daily deposit by each driver and the other showing Tk 100 each under miscellaneous heads.

Seeking anonymity, they alleged that they have been asked to tell any 'outsiders' that they pay only Tk 450 each to owners.

Under the new fare structure, initial charge has been set at Tk 15 for any distance up to two km as against Tk 12 previously. Fare for the first two km has been raised to Tk 13.50 from Tk 12 and that for each extra km to Tk 5.50 from Tk 5. Waiting charge now is Tk 0.75 per minute, up from Tk 0.50 per minute earlier.

Many of the autorickshaw owners were charging Tk 20 to 50 as garage charge per day, drivers alleged.

A group of autorickshaw drivers went to Jatrabari Police Station on Thursday to protest that owners were charging more than the newly fixed ceiling.

Officer-in-Charge of Jatrabari Police Station Kazi Ahsan Habib however said police could not take any action as the drivers did not make any written complaint.

Meanwhile, calibration of meters of three wheelers in the city started on Tuesday under five companies. Proprietor of Distribution One, a metre distribution company, said they calibrated 2,000 meters till Thursday and hoped the process would be completed within this week.

A number of drivers expressed annoyance that it takes hours to get a meter calibrated. Faruk, a driver from Jatrabari, said he came at 9:00am and got the job done at 3:30pm.

When contacted, General Secretary of Dhaka District Autorickshaw- Tempo-Mishuk Vehicle Sramik Union Golam Faruk said that at a meeting organised by Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), CNG-run three-wheeler owners pledged not to charge more than Tk 450 a day from drivers. "But we have got allegations in this regard from drivers in different parts of the city. We will sit with BRTA soon," he added.

President of Dhaka City CNG Autorickshaw Owners' Association Barkat Ullah Bulu said non-compliant owners should be tried as per the law.