Battery-run rickshaws dominate city roads

Mahfuz Emran: Easybikes and battery-powered rickshaws have become rampant across the capital roads. These vehicles are roaming on the main road without regard to rules and laws. Passengers are flying and stopping everywhere without obeying any signal. It is increasing public suffering, creating severe traffic jams. Especially after the fall of the government, these vehicles are roaming on the main road of the capital from lanes and sub-lanes due to the relaxed law and order situation. Battery powered rickshaws and easy bikes have increased in the main roads of the capital. These vehicles do not hesitate to overtake public transport. Even though we have talked about this at different levels, it is not possible to stop these things in any way.
Yesterday, numerous battery-operated rickshaws and easy bikes were seen running on almost all main roads including Sciencelab, New Market, Shahbagh, Karwan Bazar, Banglamotor, Farmgate, Jatrabari, Kala Bagan, Mirpur, Dhanmondi, Shyamoli, Mohakhali and Badda areas of the capital. These autorickshaws are coming in front of fast-moving vehicles from time to time, taking a sudden turn somewhere. It confuses the drivers of the vehicles behind. Again, speeding in the opposite direction on the road is creating danger for other vehicles.
In order to control these vehicles, it was announced on May 15 that no battery-operated rickshaws will be allowed to ply on the main roads of Dhaka. There, 22 highways of the capital were specifically banned. Not only prohibition, but also to take measures to prevent it from continuing in any way. Drivers and passengers of various vehicles feel that the roads of Dhaka have become unsafe due to these battery-powered rickshaws and easy bikes.

When asked about this, the driver Rubel Ahmed told the Times that it has become difficult to drive other vehicles on the road due to the battery-powered rickshaws. They run in the opposite direction without obeying any kind of signal. Because of this, all types of vehicles, including public transport, face obstacles. Moreover, the police are not performing their duties as before. Drivers of battery-powered cars drive errands. Overtake without obeying any signal. Earlier, battery operated rickshaws were fined and dumped for plying on the main road. These rickshaws do not have any direction lights. Due to the slowness, the car behind also has to slow down. It creates a traffic jam on the road.
When talking to several easybike and battery-powered rickshaw drivers, they said that earlier the traffic police used to cause a lot of problems, so they did not get on the main road. They used to travel on the main roads only at night. But now the situation has changed. Because the police don’t say anything. And in this opportunity, they are moving without caring about anyone. These drivers are going along with other cars without following the rules on the main road. They also admitted that this is causing traffic jams. They claim that more income can be made on the main road than on the lane road.
After the change of government, during the time of the broken police system, the students tried to control the traffic on the road on their own initiative. At that time, these unauthorized rickshaws were prevented from moving on the main road, but they failed. After that, the traffic police gradually descended on the road, but the battery-powered rickshaws are running very unhindered. In this, random movement of unskilled drivers, tendency to disobey the law, driving in the opposite direction, turning rickshaws suddenly everywhere – all in all, chaos is being created on the streets of the capital every day.
Transport experts say that taking advantage of the current situation, many battery-powered rickshaws and easy bikes have entered the city from outside Dhaka. These drivers have no registration and experience. It is creating chaos. They have not been given any kind of permission from BRTA and City Corporation. Disobeying signals and rules due to illegal running. Revival of traffic police regulations is very important. Once easybikes and battery-powered rickshaws get a chance to ply on the main road, it will be difficult to move them later.
Bangladesh University of Engineering (BUET) civil engineering department professor and transportation expert Md. Hadiuzzaman told that easybikes and battery-powered rickshaws have become a major headache for the capital. Although there are policies for these vehicles, they have not been implemented. They have to decide which route they can take. Work needs to be done to make these vehicles technology dependent. First, the capacity of easybikes and battery-powered rickshaws should be increased. Then allow it to run.
He also said that the traffic of these vehicles on the main roads of small cities like Dhaka is causing extreme chaos on the roads. There are three principles for this. First of all, deciding which road to run on, secondly thinking how to modernize, thirdly ensuring that the batteries of these vehicles do not cause any harm to the environment.
BRTA has registered about 5.4 lakh vehicles since independence. At present there will be around 50 lakh battery powered vehicles. So, it is not possible to approve so many cars in a year. Alternatively, these vehicles can be regulated by separate agencies. But everything has to be supervised by BRTA. As a result, irregularities will be reduced and room for accountability will be created.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner of Traffic Department Khandkar Nazmul Hasan urged passengers not to board battery-powered rickshaws and easy bikes. Moreover, we are trying to ensure that these vehicles do not enter the main road. In this case if passengers avoid them then the task will be easier to do. Because of these vehicles, the level of traffic is increasing day by day. We will take all measures. If necessary, the dumping system will be kept open. If the battery-powered vehicles are not removed from the main roads by this week, strict action will be taken by next week. Hope to see some visible progress in a few days.