DHAKA: The app based taxi ride sharing service Uber has just passed one year in the capital’s road transport service. However the smart phone dependent motor cycle ‘ride sharing’ service is the invention of Bangladesh.
In Bangladesh the motor cycle sharing service started here before seven months than Uber. So the app based ride sharing has reached more than one half years in Dhaka.
Though the ride sharing is continuing here the government is yet to give any legal status. The draft of its legal status has been framed but there is no policy yet.
Uber started its journey on November 22 of last. From then the city dwellers got the facilities of renting ride sharing through smart phone. Day by day its popularity increased. But the BRTA declared the service as illegal. However the Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told that this type of service can run without any hindrance and asked the BRTA to bring it under ‘legal frame.’
The process of policy making started then and after five months a draft policy was sent to the concerned Ministry. It is now awaiting the cabinet decision.
On May 7 of 2016, the app based ride sharing was first declared in Dhaka by ‘SAM’ authority. On that day the smart phone based ride sharing began. After its beginning the BRTA through a notification ordered to close it. Gradually the activities slowed down. Simultaneously the Dhaka authority out of their own started motor cycle ride sharing. However later the ‘SAM’ reintroduced Uber taxi service in the capital city Dhaka.
After the introduction of Uber taxi service and motor cycle ride sharing by ‘SAM’ another motor cycle ride sharing took on the streets under the style of ‘Pathao’ from mid December. Motor cycle share riding Pathao started gaining popularity very speedily.
At the beginning the ‘Pathao’ appointed some drivers from their own people. But as the rent was a bit higher many ‘freelancer’ biker started the app based ride sharing for their income.
In November of current month the services of motor bike was added to the existing car and taxi service. Now there are Uber, Pathao and SAM motor cycle ride sharing services in Dhaka. Though two more motor cycle ride sharing namely ‘Move’ and ‘Bahon’ were introduced there movement is not so prominent.
Uber informed that in Dhaka in office hour people uses Uber. In Dhaka, Saiful Alom starred with five star and most carrier of passengers informed that he can chose his own destination while the motor cycle biker cannot chose own his own destination rather share ride dictated his destination. Saiful told that however he can also move to the desired place of the passengers. In the Uber moto the same practice is going on informed some biers.
However Dhaka is the first city of the world where the motor cycle ride sharing was introduced by ‘SAM’. In Thailand and in other few countries much before there was motor cycle taxi service.
The founder SAM Imtiaz Quasem told Banglanews’in Dhaka more than four lakhs motor cycles are running on rent basis. Earlier one bike carried one passenger while in view if growing big jam SAM app has introduced the system of carrying two people at a time on one bike. At that time there was no app based motor cycle ride sharing throughout the world. Due to growing demand of motor bike the rent has been increased now.’
He also observed that a policy should be implemented immediately considering motor cycle and car taxi separately.
The CEO of app based motor bike ride sharing ‘Pathao’ Hossain Mohammad Illias in an interview told Banglanews that they started service in Dhaka on December 16 of 2016. He started this business with the determination of less expenditure of the service taker less than CNG auto rickshaw.
BDST: 1310 HRS, NOV 22, 2017
SJN/SI/SMS
