New taxi service

THIS is for the first time that an organized taxi service is about to be launched in Bangladesh. There is a critical need for such a service from every point of view. However, it's the economics of the issue that concerns us, the fare being so prohibitive as to be beyond the reach of the public.
It's not only going to be the costliest taxi service in South Asia, but also one that will defeat the rationales of a service oriented venture. In an attempt to justify the fare, the BRTA chairman has explained that it has been fixed considering the cost of vehicles, their maintenance, fuel and operation costs. But then again, how viable is a fare if it goes beyond the means of the consumers?
A trip beginning with a fixed TK100 for the first two kilometres, TK 34 for every next kilometre, and over TK 8 as waiting charge per minute has surely not been fixed keeping the public interest in mind. And it is out of order for the policy makers to tell the public to take it or leave it.
Surely, success of such a service oriented venture depends on the volume of use of the service which will fall flat if the public chooses to leave it. The basis of fixing the fare is not clear, and the association of an MP with the project, which is a clear violation of the constitution, gives ground for questioning the economics of the issue. We hope that the government will reconsider the matter.