Entry fee collection at Ctg port going digital
The new rules will be effective from September 15. The trial run has already started from July 11
It takes 15-20 minutes to pay the entry fee for a cargo vehicle to enter Chattogram port. In this way, about 8,000 vehicles enter the port every day, causing congestions at all eight gates of the country's main seaport.
From the port gates, the lines of waiting vehicles also extend to the VIP road leading to Chattogram airport. Chaos spreads on the road as vehicles wait for hours to enter the port yard.
Due to the traffic congestion on this busiest of roads in the port city, passengers going to the airport and the export processing zone (EPZ) in Chattogram suffer every day, with many even missing their scheduled flights.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
To solve this problem, the Chattogram Port Authority is bringing the payment of entry fee for vehicles engaged in the transportation of goods under digitalisation. The new rules will be effective from September 15. The trial run of the process commenced on July 11.
To this end, the port authorities have set up service desks at all the port gates. It will not take more than 1-2 minutes for a vehicle to enter the yard after arriving at the port gates.
In the meantime, the port authorities have registered data in the port software with pictures of about 50,000 drivers and their 27,000 associates engaged in transporting goods at the port.
At present, cargo vehicles have to pay Tk57.50 at the Chattogram port through its eight gates.
The new rules will bring down congestion and time at port gates as well as reduce the tendency of port security personnel to collect extra money, the port authority has said.
Chittagong Port Deputy Director (Security/Administration) SM Masudul Islam said the entry fee remains the same under the new rules. The entry fee has to be paid through mobile financial services, using the port's terminal operating system (TOS). Vehicles will be able to enter the port yard directly by showing the fee payment documents.
Every day, the Chattogram Port Authority collects Tk4.60 lakh as entry fees from vehicles entering the port yard for unloading of imported goods and shipping of export goods from 19 private off-docks.
In addition to this fixed fee, port security personnel allegedly collect around Tk8 lakh from drivers.
Abu Bakkar Siddique, general secretary of prime mover-trailer sramik union, told TBS, "Security guards at the port gates charged Tk100-Tk200 in addition to the prescribed entry fee from each vehicle. Even though we brought the matter to the notice of the senior officials of the security department, we have not got any benefit so far."
"We do not know who controls this syndicate. We applaud the digitisation process to collect entrance fees. Now we will demand that the port authorities take steps to stop the collection of additional fees."
In this regard, Major Md Wahidul Haque, Deputy Director (Security/Operations) at Chattogram Port, told TBS, "If the online entry fee process is fully implemented, there will be no opportunity to collect extra money at the gates when vehicles enter and exit."
Chowdhury Zafar Ahmed, secretary general of the Bangladesh covered van truck prime mover goods transport association, told TBS that the port authorities have banned drivers who have not exceeded three years of getting their driving licences from entering the port.
"Since the BRTA authorities see everything and issue drivers' licences, the port authorities should reconsider this decision," he added.
Kazi Mahmud Imam Bilu, first joint general secretary of the Chattogram C&F Agents Association, told TBS, "We must applaud the new rules on the collection of entry fees. But we have offered alternative options for collecting vehicle entry fees along with other port fees. If this is implemented, the process of collecting entry fees will be easier."
