Ridesharing services, especially motorbikes, have gained tremendous popularity in Bangladesh over the last few years given the short amount of time they take to reach the destination. However, hiring motorbikes on a contractual basis rather than through apps have become something of a trend recently.
This phenomenon has led to regular bikers being called out on the streets for trips, which understandably gets annoying after a while.
Ridesharing through motorbikes started back in 2016 and became popular around 2017 and as of 2019, there are more than 10 ridesharing firms throughout the country.
Usually, when bikers take on passengers through apps, they have to give a percentage of the fare to the ridesharing firm. Hence, those who do provide the service, opt for contractual fares as they get to keep the entire amount for themselves. Passengers also take advantage of this as the fare is usually lower than that of the app.
Private-service holder Jahangir Alam, who commutes between Dhanmondi and Uttara regularly on his bike, has been mistaken for a ride sharer a number of times.
“People call out to me at traffic signals and footpath. I’m bound to say that I’m not a Pathao or Uber rider but they still argue after that,” he added.
Passengers, on the other hand, complain that many of the ride-sharers are unable to navigate to the pick-up location and at times no rides are available. Then again they run out of data and are bound to hire bikers on a contractual basis.
Arif Ahmed who has opted for contractual hire rather than apps, says, “It’s really difficult to find a ride during office hours.”
He added that he can easily find a contractual ride at Mohammadpur bus stop and since it’s a cheaper and more time-friendly option, he uses it on a regular basis.
Rider Farhad Hossain says that in addition to a better income, they go for contractual trips because there are people who don’t know how to use an app.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (media and public relations) Md Masudur Rahman warns that contractual trips put both the rider and passenger at risk and has advised sticking to apps.
“The passenger may face accidents or harassment and in the same way, the rider may also get hijacked during these trips,” he said.
Meanwhile, ridesharing firms say that there isn’t much that can be done in the situation as both the rider and passenger make the choice freely.
“There isn’t much we can do if anyone accepts a ride without using the app,” said Pathao Marketing Manager Nabillah Mahmud.
She added that as long as both parties are using the app they are under the firm’s rules and regulation.
“We tell both parties to use the app as there is a higher chance of risk otherwise,” she said and added that unless the app is being used, neither the rider nor the passenger can be traced back in case of an accident.
Shohoj app director Shezami Khalil tells Bangla Tribune through the app both the parties are able to see each others’ profiles and ratings.
“We hope that both the riders and passengers will stick to using the app keeping their safety in mind,” he said.
Khalil added that not only do they monitor the safety of both parties, they often restrict the drivers from using the drivers from their platform when there are proven complaints against them.