Three-wheeler taxis: Nobody’s baby

Over six months have lapsed since the gazette notification on threewheeler taxis used to provide transportation services is yet to be implemented in the country.

The gazette notification which was published by the Ministry of Transport is yet to be adopted by Parliament while a number of three-wheeler drivers and owners’ unions are calling on the Ministry of Private Transportation Services to take threewheeler taxi services under its purview.

However, the issue is being tossed from one ministry to the other, without a clear decision on which ministry is responsible.

Traffic DIG Amarasiri Seneratne told the Sunday Times neither the Act presented by the Transport Ministry nor the Western Provincial Council Act is in effect at present due to disputes that has come up over the regulations since their introduction last year.According to him the lack of a governing authority over three-wheeler taxis has made it difficult to implement either Act.

A meeting called last week by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa to discuss concerns over the regulations stipulated in the Act presented by the Transport Ministry also ended without consensus.

Making the usage meter compulsory on all three-wheelers for hire, a move which came under criticism, was met with stiff opposition by the majority of the three-wheeler-owners’ associations, said Lalith Dharmasekara, the chairman of the All Island Three-Wheeler Drivers’ Union.

There is no authority to regulate the meters or the fare per kilometre. The committees which were to be established as per the new gazette issued in August 2013 are yet to be formed.

“The Act has not been passed in Parliament yet, though over six months have lapsed. Now amend- ments are to be brought to it. The suggestion is to repeal the regulation which makes a meter compulsory and make it voluntary” Mr. Dharmasekara said.

The three-wheeler drivers’ community is divided on the issue of fixing meters. Although it was made compulsory by an Act passed by the Western Provincial council to fix a meter on all passenger transport three-wheelers in the Western Province, many three-wheelers for hire can be seen operating without one.

Dimuth Narada, a three-wheeler driver running in and around the Madiwela area was first opposed to fixing of meters on three wheelers. However he is now a dedicated supporter of it.

With over 20 years of experience as a three-wheeler taxi driver, he says the meter has brought him unexpected benefits.

“Now there is no haggling over the fare when we have a meter, and what’s more we can charge for waiting. Earlier it was difficult to charge properly for waiting, and we used to lose out, but now it is a fixed rate” he says, explaining that with the new regulations they can charge higher for night hires.

However not all are convinced about the benefits of fixing meters. Sudil Jayaruk, President of the All Island Three-wheeler Drivers’ and Owners’ association, claimed that individual taxi drivers and owners should be given the option whether to install a meter or not.

“There is no monitoring body to ensure that the meters are sold at a reasonable price, to decide on a correct formula for fees and to ensure that the meters are not tampered with,” he said.

According to current regulations in the Western Province the fee that can be charged by a three-wheeler for hire is between Rs. 32 and Rs. 40 per kilometre.

One of the main accusations levelled at three-wheeler taxi drivers is that they tamper with the meters to charge a higher fee for a shorter distance. Although Mr. Dharmasekara denied such allegations, some of the three-wheeler taxi drivers the Sunday Times spoke to, confirmed this is done by some.

DIG Seneratne said no such complaint has come to the police yet.

“Even if there are such incidents occurring there is no accepted authority to test such tampered meters. There should be an authority like the Measurement Units, Standards and Services Department. There should be some authority to govern them as well” he said.

The regulation also stipulates that the fee should be clearly displayed on the three wheeler, along with the details of the driver or the owner.

However this regulation is rarely adhered to by three-wheeler taxis. Often the commuters will have to ask how much per kilometre fee after flagging down the taxi, and the details of the driver is rarely seen any where inside the taxi.

DIG Seneratne endorsed the idea of displaying the details of the driver as a good security measure to ensure safety of the passengers.

“When a passenger flags down a three-wheeler taxi, he or she won’t know who or where he is from. But if the information is displayed then they are better informed if anything happens,” he said.

The majority of the three-wheeler owners’ and drivers’ unions are divided on this issue as well. While some unions support the move to displaying the details of the driver, others oppose it citing breach of privacy.

“There have been many incidents in the past where the privacy and security of the three-wheeler taxi drivers have been compromised due to this.” Mr. Jayaruk explained.

Instead he proposes to have a registration system with the Registry of Motor Traffic or any other similar regulatory body where the registration number could be displayed for the passenger’s benefit.

“All information about the driver and the owner can then be with the regulatory authority and the police can obtain the information when needed from the authority,” he said.

Further there is a dispute over registration fees for three-wheelers for hire charged by the Western Provincial Council with many owners refusing to pay the stipulated fee.

However the various suggestions made are yet to be evaluated and incorporated into the current Act framed by the Ministry of Transport last year. Transport Minister Kumara Welgama was not available for comment on the issues despite numerous attempts by this paper to contact him.