Impressions from first visit to Dhaka after 5 years

[Paul2]

1. Getting through Dhaka airport is still a survival experience
2. Motorickshaws still try to trick foreigners into overpriced ride, or the fare really reached 1000BDT, and the country is doomed
3. A walk in Gulshan 1 really unrecognisable
4. Overall, the city is a total chaos, as it been before. A bit cleaner, and with few nice highrises now.
5. It feels that there are even more people here.

 

[Maula Jatt]

Was this a roast session mate?

 

[Bilal9]

1. Getting through Dhaka airport is still a survival experience
2. Motorickshaws still try to trick foreigners into overpriced ride, or the fare really reached 1000BDT, and the country is doomed
3. A walk in Gulshan 1 really unrecognisable
4. Overall, the city is a total chaos, as it been before. A bit cleaner, and with few nice highrises now.
5. It feels that there are even more people here.

Like I said in other threads, too many mega projects going on in Dhaka - it is a clusterf*ck situation now. I feel in a couple more years most of these MRT. BRT. Expressway projects will get done and chaos will ease. First MRT line is almost done (line #6) and they are planning to build line #1 and #5 next, which will be built underground (subway) instead in another five years.

Airport situation (civil aviation board) is hopeless and that organization is peopled by well-known and shameless airforce morons. They are completely incapable of running this or any airport. Or controlling spurious tauts and frauds (taxi drivers included) there. Airport is a place for these monkeys to make money. Hopeless...

There is a 3rd terminal being built as you've probably seen when the airplane landed. That terminal will also be done in a couple more years. Maybe that will ease things a bit.

Growing pains aplenty. I don't go home as often anymore, because I lose my cool when I get at the airport. I don't know how a modern airport runs like this.

 

[Paul2]

Was this a roast session mate?

Not necessarily. I said that Gulshan 1 is now unrecognisable with highrises popping one after another. 5 years ago, there were open gutters left, and right around the place.

1. Motorickshaws still try to trick foreigners into overpriced ride, or the fare really reached 1000BDT, and the country is doomed

SO, what's the actual motorickshaw cost now? I tried asking 4 times, but always heard ridiculous numbers.

It's almost like in India in touristy places. You come to mob of rickshaws, and they all light up "Angrezi bhai! angrezi bhai!" Ride 20 pounds!

 

[bluesky]

SO, what's the actual motorickshaw cost now? I tried asking 4 times, but always heard ridiculous numbers.

It's almost like in India in touristy places. You come to mob of rickshaws, and they all light up "Angrezi bhai! angrezi bhai!" Ride 20 pounds!

Are you surprised? However, after Metro Rail starts operations things will change quite a bit. For example, you will ride a train at the airport station and it will take you to the nearest place to your destination.

No pound or dollar is needed then.

 

[Protest_again]

Not necessarily. I said that Gulshan 1 is now unrecognisable with highrises popping one after another. 5 years ago, there were open gutters left, and right around the place.

SO, what's the actual motorickshaw cost now? I tried asking 4 times, but always heard ridiculous numbers.

It's almost like in India in touristy places. You come to mob of rickshaws, and they all light up "Angrezi bhai! angrezi bhai!" Ride 20 pounds!

When were you last in India? In India, we Indians no longer look for taxis outside but book them using the apps like Ola, Uber etc. Rickshaws? Not even Indians take those these days.

 

[Paul2]

1. Getting through Dhaka airport is still a survival experience
2. Motorickshaws still try to trick foreigners into overpriced ride, or the fare really reached 1000BDT, and the country is doomed
3. A walk in Gulshan 1 really unrecognisable
4. Overall, the city is a total chaos, as it been before. A bit cleaner, and with few nice highrises now.
5. It feels that there are even more people here.

6. Chinese restaurants are freaking everywhere now

Yumcha district is relatively edible, better than most Chinese restaurants in US

And Hongbao in Gulshan would be actually quite good even by Shenzhen standards

Dropped my jaw when dudes there spoke Hakka, and been embarrassed I can't recall even how to say hello.

 

[Paul2]

7. There are so much more cars now

 

[Bilal9]

Not necessarily. I said that Gulshan 1 is now unrecognisable with highrises popping one after another. 5 years ago, there were open gutters left, and right around the place.

SO, what's the actual motorickshaw cost now? I tried asking 4 times, but always heard ridiculous numbers.

It's almost like in India in touristy places. You come to mob of rickshaws, and they all light up "Angrezi bhai! angrezi bhai!" Ride 20 pounds!

The organization that fixes rickshaw and CNG driven auto-rickshaw (moto-rickshaw) fares is Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).

Here is an article from last year which should answer your questions. Long story short enforcement of rules is absent as neither BRTA nor police will do their jobs or do it in spotty fashion with limited personnel. Scale of the problem is huge.

If you squeeze too hard these auto rickshaw drivers will go to the street and start burning tyres. Kind of a dilemma.

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CNG auto-rickshaw drivers giving a damn to meters -

There has been much hullaballoo over the fare of CNG auto-rickshaw for quite a long time but still there is no solution in sight. Day by day situation is getting worse. CNG auto-rickshaw drivers now hardly use fare meters while law enforcers are turning a blind eye to the plight

www.observerbd.com

CNG auto-rickshaw drivers giving a damn to meters Published : Friday, 12 March, 2021 at 12:00 AM Count : 336 Hedayet Ullah Khan ​

​ There has been much hullaballoo over the fare of CNG auto-rickshaw for quite a long time but still there is no solution in sight. Day by day situation is getting worse. CNG auto-rickshaw drivers now hardly use fare meters while law enforcers are turning a blind eye to the plight of passengers. Visiting different parts of Dhaka city, it was found that passengers became completely hostage to CNG drivers. Despite several initiatives - increase in fare, amount of deposit for owners and daily fare taken by CNG owners from drivers - the government has failed to implement the use of metres. The government increased fare rate of CNG auto-rickshaws on November 1 in 2015. According to the new fare, the fare for the first two kilometers was fixed at Tk40 instead of Tk25. The next per kilometer fare was Tk12 instead of Tk7.64. Two taka was fixed for waiting a minute in a traffic jam and signal. Earlier, it was Tk1.4 per minute. According to the new chart, CNG owners should get Tk900 as deposit from drivers. Earlier, it was Tk600. But, drivers alleged that the owners were taking from Tk1500 to Tk1800 from them instead of Tk900. As a result, they are compelled to stay away from meters to meet up owners' demand and charge extra fare from passengers, said CNG auto-rickshaw drivers. In case of contractual ride, passengers generally have to pay double or triple the amount fixed by the government. Besides, CNG drivers refuse to take passengers who want to travel short distance. Mahmudul Hasan, a resident of Rampura, boarded a CNG auto-rickshaw with his pregnant wife from Kamalapur Railway Station to Rampura. He told to this correspondent, "I asked several CNGs to go on meter rate fare and every driver refused me. So, at last I have hired this CNG with Tk250. For my wife is a pregnant woman and she couldn't stand for long." "However, the highest fare would be Tk100-120 for such distance," he added. In this regard, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, an organization that works for passengers' welfare, Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said, "We called on the government to hold a public hearing while increasing the CNG fare. But it was not done." "If there was a control room for CNG passengers, at least the passengers would get some immediate solutions to the problems," he added. Besides, a huge number of silver colored private CNG auto-rickshaws are seen in the capital. These are permitted only for private use and they have no meters. But now, these types of CNGs openly run like commercial CNG-run auto-rickshaws and carry passengers in violation of the rule. Regarding all the allegations, Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, Deputy Secretary of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), told the Daily Observer, "To solve the fare and meter issues of CNG auto-rickshaws we are regularly increasing the number of mobile courts in the capital. We are continuing our drives against those drivers who are not charging fares based on meters." "Our mobile courts and drives will be increased further until the issue is not under control. The rules violators are facing penalty," he added. About private CNGs the official of the BRTA said, "Private CNG owners have filed a case with the High Court for operating their CNG auto-rickshaws for commercial purpose. The case is still pending."​

 

[Avicenna]

@Paul2

Thank you for this thread.

LOVE the objectivity from a fresh set of eyes.

Keep it coming bro!

 

[INS_Vikrant]

When were you last in India? In India, we Indians no longer look for taxis outside but book them using the apps like Ola, Uber etc. Rickshaws? Not even Indians take those these days.

Actually most Foreign tourist are willing victims in that most of the time. Several instance in Mumbai where foreigners ask me where they can nearest taxi or rickshaw stand I tell them to book an Uber it's safe, comfy and they can check their route on gps and ensure driver isn't trying to loot them by going in circles. But no, they want to experience "real india" and travel in local cabs and rickshaws, and in my mind I am like ok it's your money wanna get mugged go ahead and take the second right from the signal.

 

[Bilal9]

I remember in places like Malaysia and Thailand airports, the Taxi Owners also had stands where you could purchase tickets for taxis and give the driver the tickets after they dropped you. This way, the taxis don't lose their places in the queue and their badges and the taxi numbers are all pre-determined and safe. CAAB idiots at Dhaka airport could not come up with this after fifty years. Incompetent screw-ups as usual.

Of course - you have Uber (and possibly LYFT) in Dhaka as well. That option is more preferable and these companies should have booths at the airport too for helping passengers.

 

[bluesky]

When were you last in India? In India, we Indians no longer look for taxis outside but book them using the apps like Ola, Uber etc. Rickshaws? Not even Indians take those these days.

 

[fallstuff]

The organization that fixes rickshaw and CNG driven auto-rickshaw (moto-rickshaw) fares is Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).

Here is an article from last year which should answer your questions. Long story short enforcement of rules is absent as neither BRTA nor police will do their jobs or do it in spotty fashion with limited personnel. Scale of the problem is huge.

If you squeeze too hard these auto rickshaw drivers will go to the street and start burning tyres. Kind of a dilemma.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CNG auto-rickshaw drivers giving a damn to meters -

There has been much hullaballoo over the fare of CNG auto-rickshaw for quite a long time but still there is no solution in sight. Day by day situation is getting worse. CNG auto-rickshaw drivers now hardly use fare meters while law enforcers are turning a blind eye to the plight

www.observerbd.com

CNG auto-rickshaw drivers giving a damn to meters Published : Friday, 12 March, 2021 at 12:00 AM Count : 336 Hedayet Ullah Khan ​

There has been much hullaballoo over the fare of CNG auto-rickshaw for quite a long time but still there is no solution in sight. Day by day situation is getting worse. CNG auto-rickshaw drivers now hardly use fare meters while law enforcers are turning a blind eye to the plight of passengers. Visiting different parts of Dhaka city, it was found that passengers became completely hostage to CNG drivers. Despite several initiatives - increase in fare, amount of deposit for owners and daily fare taken by CNG owners from drivers - the government has failed to implement the use of metres. The government increased fare rate of CNG auto-rickshaws on November 1 in 2015. According to the new fare, the fare for the first two kilometers was fixed at Tk40 instead of Tk25. The next per kilometer fare was Tk12 instead of Tk7.64. Two taka was fixed for waiting a minute in a traffic jam and signal. Earlier, it was Tk1.4 per minute. According to the new chart, CNG owners should get Tk900 as deposit from drivers. Earlier, it was Tk600. But, drivers alleged that the owners were taking from Tk1500 to Tk1800 from them instead of Tk900. As a result, they are compelled to stay away from meters to meet up owners' demand and charge extra fare from passengers, said CNG auto-rickshaw drivers. In case of contractual ride, passengers generally have to pay double or triple the amount fixed by the government. Besides, CNG drivers refuse to take passengers who want to travel short distance. Mahmudul Hasan, a resident of Rampura, boarded a CNG auto-rickshaw with his pregnant wife from Kamalapur Railway Station to Rampura. He told to this correspondent, "I asked several CNGs to go on meter rate fare and every driver refused me. So, at last I have hired this CNG with Tk250. For my wife is a pregnant woman and she couldn't stand for long." "However, the highest fare would be Tk100-120 for such distance," he added. In this regard, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, an organization that works for passengers' welfare, Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said, "We called on the government to hold a public hearing while increasing the CNG fare. But it was not done." "If there was a control room for CNG passengers, at least the passengers would get some immediate solutions to the problems," he added. Besides, a huge number of silver colored private CNG auto-rickshaws are seen in the capital. These are permitted only for private use and they have no meters. But now, these types of CNGs openly run like commercial CNG-run auto-rickshaws and carry passengers in violation of the rule. Regarding all the allegations, Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, Deputy Secretary of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), told the Daily Observer, "To solve the fare and meter issues of CNG auto-rickshaws we are regularly increasing the number of mobile courts in the capital. We are continuing our drives against those drivers who are not charging fares based on meters." "Our mobile courts and drives will be increased further until the issue is not under control. The rules violators are facing penalty," he added. About private CNGs the official of the BRTA said, "Private CNG owners have filed a case with the High Court for operating their CNG auto-rickshaws for commercial purpose. The case is still pending."​

Rules are mere suggestions only !

 

[Bilal9]

Rules are mere suggestions only !

Exactly.

Rules are made to be broken in Bangladesh.