Taxicab service is on the verge of disappearing

THE taxicab service is on the verge of disappearing from Bangladesh, as the companies providing the service in the country are not interested in continuing it. One of the two companies providing taxicab services, Toma Construction and Co. Ltd., has stopped providing the service since the beginning of this year. Another service provider, the Army Welfare Trust, recently sent a letter to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority requesting to declare its majority of taxis ‘out of order.’
 The service will be abolished in 2025 if no new investments come here by the time the extended economic life of the existing registered taxis expires. Currently, very few taxicabs are seen on the roads in the capital. The service was introduced in Bangladesh in 2001. As per the government document, 18,700 taxicabs can run under the service in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Sylhet, but at present there are only 424 registered cabs.
 In many countries, ridesharing service and taxicab service run simultaneously without affecting each other. In Bangladesh, we could not create the environment for the service, and that is why we would not continue the service. According to the 2010 Taxicab Service Guidelines, the economic life of taxicabs is 10 years. In January 2022, the Army Welfare Trust and Toma Construction and Co. Ltd. applied to increase the economic life of their taxicabs from 10 years to 11 years, citing that they were off the streets for the Covid-19 lockdown between 2020 and 2021.
 With the economic advancement, except for the Metro Rail, the country’s public transport system has not seen any reformation and modernisation. Passengers forgot when they ride auto-rickshaws following the meter. The e-ticketing system is a new addition to the transport system, without full-fledged operation, the benefit will not come. Regulations in the entire transport system are long due as mere e-ticketing will not ensure discipline in the system.