Rickshaws plying the Mirpur Road near Labaid Hospital in the city on Sunday, defying the restrictions on their movement on the road. Both the city corporations have made some roads off-limits to rickshaws, with effect from Sunday — FE photo by KAZ Sumon Restrictions on the plying of rickshaws on two major routes came into force on Sunday, but many such pedalled vehicles were seen in some parts of the roads.
Since early morning, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) with the aid of police forced rickshaw drivers to limit their movement on the routes.
The effort has not fully paid off. The drivers of the non-motorised vehicles could not be controlled fully.
This ban, however, has drawn a mixed reaction from commuters.
Some argue that this should have been implemented by taking adequate time and alternative arrangements.
But others justify this ban on the grounds that it creates nagging traffic jams on the city's streets.
The ban is enforced from Gabtoli to Azimpur via Asad Gate along with Science Lab to Shahbagh and Kuril to Sayadabad via Rampura and Khilgaon to ease traffic.
DNCC also demolished unauthorised structures on Pragati Sarani and its adjacent footpaths. On July 03, a special committee led by Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sayeed Khokon decided that the three streets would be off-limits to rickshaws.
The decision was made to ease congestion in the areas.
On June 19, the committee was formed at a meeting of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority.
It aimed to remove illegal vehicles, including rickshaws, battery-run rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and vans, from streets and free footpaths by two months.
"Rickshaws should not ply thoroughfares as it creates congestion," said Md Syful Islam, an elderly, in Shahajadpur area.
"Three-wheelers should ply the lanes only," he argued.
On the debit side, the people who would use rickshaws to carry their kids to schools faced trouble for lack of the non-motorised transport.
An organisation of rickshaw owners has already threatened to go for legal action against such a move.
Rickshaw-van owners' federation in a press conference urged the authorities concerned to withdraw the ban.
People at the DNCC said some rickshaws were seen on the rickshaw-restricted route following the half-day "hartal" called by left-leaning political parties in protest against the hike in gas prices. Many people are yet to know about the restrictions. There will be "no-rickshaw" on the routes from today (Monday), they added.
However, the authorities have not given licences for the same since 1986, but a number of organsations patronised by political parties in connivance with police run rickshaws here.
But the three-wheelers have increased manifold for the absence of regulations and a dearth of public transport.
It is, however, believed around 600,000 rickshaws are in the capital, which are often blamed for the city's perennial traffic chaos.
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