4 lakh rickshaws throng city roads
May 18, 2009
Law enforcers in the city will not seize the over four lakh rickshaws with fake documents considering the livelihood of rickshaw pullers and owners, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Shahidul Haque yesterday. He said if the illegal rickshaws are seized all at a time, the people concerned might get involved with criminal activities deteriorating the law and order situation in the capital. He said this in a views-exchange meeting with rickshaw pullers and leaders of different rickshaw owners’ association at Rajarbagh Police Lines.
Speaking as the chief guest he said the government has made a decision to make Kuril-Sayedabad thoroughfare off limits to rickshaws and other non-motorised vehicles but law enforcers allow rickshaws with valid papers to ply the road. After a certain period of time the road will be made off-limits to all non-motorised vehicles.
If the illegal rickshaws are removed from the city, it will cause public sufferings too, he said, adding, “The people of lower middle class, which form a large portion of the total population of the capital, use the non-motorised means of transport as the fare is generally within their reach.”
He said registrations of around 90,000 rickshaws were issued in 1986 by Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and since then no registration has been issued even though the number of rickshaws has increased rapidly.
He said the authorities concerned should make the illegal ones legal by registering them.
Slow moving wheelers and fast moving motorised vehicles cannot run on the highways as it causes frequent accidents and severe traffic congestions, he said. Rickshaws can run on special lanes on city streets, he added.
He urged rickshaw owners’ leaders to be more professional and not to use their political identity. He said it is rather common of ruling party men to take control of trade unions and put pressure on the administration hampering the smooth functioning of the administration.
Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Mohammad Jasim Uddin presided over the meeting.
Source: The Daily Star
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