Reduce import cost of CNG auto-rickshaw
Photo: STAR
Recently the CNG run auto-rickshaw drivers in the capital called an indefinite strike to fulfill their 10 point demands. The middle class and poor people suffered most during the strike. People have a common complaint that the CNG auto-rickshaw drivers do not want to go to any destination that a passenger ask him to. If one insists, the driver demands a very high fare. They seldom agree to go by meter. The fact is that the import cost of a CNG auto-rickshaw excepting customs, VAT, supplementary duty etc is about Tk 2,50,000. But an owner has to invest about Tk 6, 00,000 to buy an auto- rickshaw. The excess financial burden has been imposed by the government to discourage the import of CNG auto-rickshaws. The decision-makers in government enjoy government vehicles to move from one place to another. They do not realise the suffering of common people. The present communications minister gave his commitment to the drivers that the government would consider their demands. In fact, if customs duty on CNG-run auto-rickshaw is lowered, supplementary tax and VAT are withdrawn and registration is made easy, most of the problems will be solved. Only Dhaka metropolis needs more than one hundred thousand CNG-run auto- rickshaws but the authorities allowed only 17 thousand to register. The government should remove all the financial and administrative restrictions to ease the suffering of the commuters, drivers and owners.
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