Our Correspondent
RANGPUR, May 12: Bullock carts are now on the verge of extinction in 8 districts under Rangpur division as rickshaw vans are replacing bullock carts in the rural remote areas carrying both passengers and goods to different destination.
According to sources, the bullock carts have been decreased due to fast development of the road communication. Rickshaw vans can now ply in most remote areas of the region easily.
About two or three decades ago, the rural people of the region exclusively dependent on bullock carts for carrying passengers or goods. In previous day rickshaws were not in sight in the countryside because of the dilapidated condition of the rural roads. Their movement was mainly confined in the sub-divisional and district headquarters during the Pakistan period.
Rickshaws and rickshaw vans started appearing in large number following the rapid development of the road communication after the independence.
Rickshaw vans are generally used for carrying paddy sheaf, various commodities to different markets and other places. It also carries people to different destination.
In the past, bullock carts were used for those purposes. But the unemployed rural youths began to show interest in buying the rickshaw vans as a means of main income generating tools to maintain their livelihood.
Sources said, a rickshaw van costs Tk 12,000 to Tk 35,000. One can buy it against weekly payment. Many jobless youths purchase it buy taking micro credit from the local NGOs. The maintenance cost of rickshaw vans is very low whereas a bullock cart costs Tk 80,000 to Tk 1,00000 which is very much expensive. Another reason of the people's reluctance to use bullock carts is that rickshaw vans take 30 to 40 minutes to reach the upazila headquarters from the rural area, on the other hand bullock carts take 2 to 3 hours.
Sabu Mia (45) a rickshaw van puller at Hamidpur village under Mithapukur upazila in Rangpur district told the FE that as the bullock carts are very costly people are avoiding the slow moving transport and are interested in purchasing rickshaw vans which is much more cheaper than the bullock carts, he added.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
