Auto-rickshaws fight for CNG

CNG-run auto-rickshaw getting stuck in the long queue is a common scene at Chittagong City Corporation's CNG filling station. Photo: Zobaer Hossain Sikder

With the number of such vehicles increasing, the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Refuelling Station at Dampara is now virtually overburdened, sources said. Besides, many vehicles are being converted into CNG everyday.

There are over 3000 CNG vehicles in the city while around 1000 wait in the queue for conversion.

The CCC filling station with a capacity of providing CNG to 1000 vehicles a day is now forced to meet the demand for fuel of over 1200.

The vehicles get stranded in long queue there very often while sudden suspension of the station makes them quite helpless.

Since its journey on June 21 this year, the station with the optimum capacity of filling four vehicles in every two minutes through four points of two dispensers, has so far been functioning 18 hours (from 6AM to 12 midnight) a day.

The continuous operation also hampered regular maintenance, leading to sudden suspension of the station several times in the last two months.

To avert congestion, the CCC recently introduced two separate timetables for CNG-run four-stroke auto-rickshaws and other vehicles. Through advertisements in local dailies on September 26, the CCC urged the auto-rickshaws to get the supply from 5.00 am to 9.00 am and from 6.00pm to 12.00pm leaving the rest of the time for other vehicles. Later, the CCC increased the time for auto-rickshaws till 10.00 am.

On the other hand, the CNG conversion plant of the station on an average converts four vehicles daily while around 15 remain in queue, CCC sources said.

CCC Chief Executive Officer Md. Abul Bashar said, "We have been observing the response from the consumers. As the project seems to have proved a success, CCC may think of setting up more CNG refuelling stations."

Installation of more such stations has become essential as the CNG vehicles are increasing everyday, he added.

CCC Executive Engineer and in-charge of the station Md. Abul Hasnat said some 7000 cubic meters of CNG are supplied to over 1200 vehicles including 900 four-stroke auto-rickshaws everyday.

With the increasing demand of both CNG and number of vehicles queuing for conversion it has become tough for us to go for regular maintenance, he said. The dispensers and conversion plant require maintenance twice a month, he said.

But the consumers became impatient and sometimes got agitated for only one or two-hour suspension of operation for maintenance work, he said.

CNG consumers said it is very inconvenient for us to wait in a long queue during the rush hours.

Some auto-rickshaw drivers expressed their utter annoyance while waiting in the long queue. "Waiting in such a long queue spells financial loss for us," they said.

"Moreover, when we have passengers on board it is not possible to keep them waiting for long," they said.

Tayebur Rahman, assistant general manager of Uttara Motors, said the company has have imported 3500 auto-rickshaws in the city so far.

There are many in the pipeline and the number is to stand at 5000 by December this year, he said.

Demand for the CNG and conversion is increasing everyday and it would be tough for a single refuelling station to cope with it unless more such stations are installed immediately, Tayebur added.