The similarity between the two incidents involving two young women is quite uncanny. The two have just passed the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams and enrolled in colleges. Both of them died this month in road accidents in which so-called easy bikes were involved. In fact, these once-ubiquitous vehicles are battery-run rickshaws fitted with a small improvised engine.
Of the two accidents, one occurred in Dhaka, the other in Cox's Bazar. They appeared like bolts from the blue. The two were travelling to their respective colleges on the very first day, one accompanied by her parents; the other by her relatives and friends. According to eye-witnesses, while on board the speeding engine-driven rickshaws, their loose scarves (Ornas) got entangled with the spokes of the vehicles' wheels. They died in minutes from asphyxiation before they could cry for help.
The two mindless deaths point to an utter indifference on the part of the traffic regulatory authorities to the dangers posed by easy bikes.
However, the law enforcement and traffic regulatory agencies concerned have at last banned the plying of battery-operated rickshaws in Dhaka and Chittagong. Lately, they are seldom seen during daytime in the capital. A considerable number of these improvised transports allegedly operate on Dhaka's outskirts after dusk. Apparently to avoid law enforcers, the 'easy bike' drivers prefer roads free of the city's usual traffic pressure and surveillance. On being driven out of Dhaka, scores of these transports have entered the city of Chittagong, Comilla and other towns. There is no dearth of passengers there.
Many Dhaka-dwellers, however, feel puzzled as they come across these rickshaws once in a while during rush hours. They could also be spotted on a number of insufficiently lighted streets at night. With a stringent ban in force, the plying of easy bikes in the heart of the city is indeed an enigma. Many suspect a 'foul play'. It seems the 'easy bike' operators are biding their time. They might be mulling a comeback taking the opportunity of any future urban unrest.
Not long ago, these illegal transports became a virtually normal sight in the capital, especially after dusk. That these battery-driven 'easy bikes' were flouting traffic rules did not occur to many passengers. Moreover, few of them were aware of the impending prohibition. The flip side of the matter is, despite being aware of the hazards involving an 'easy bike' a lot of city-dwellers did not hesitate to travel by it. Many preferred it for its speed, which is higher than that of the pedalled rickshaws. Besides, a number of 'easy bike' operators used to hook unwitting passengers, who failed to realise that the rickshaw they were going to ride was not the traditional, leisurely one. When they could find out the mistake, it was too late. The wobbly transport, by that time, had taken speed, whizzing past the manual rickshaws, sometimes even competing with minibuses. It was not until one met with an accident that he or she would have the taste of the danger of getting on board such a vehicle.
The so-called easy bikes cannot take quick turns, have a weak brake-device and run without bells or horns. Since they started plying the streets of the capital a couple of years back, a lot of accidents have taken place. Most of them remain unreported.
The traffic system in Dhaka has long reached a point of breakdown due to a lot of reasons. In the impenetrable web of mechanised and manual transports, the 'easy bike' had made its entry with a great nuisance value. The transport should be taken off from all roads of the capital and other cities and towns, before it started playing a fresh havoc with the traffic system.
shihabskr@ymail.com
