CHATTOGRAM, Nov 24: Electric three-wheelers, including easy bikes, are running illegally on main roads and highways in Chattogram despite a ban on them.
In 2019, the Chattogram City Corporation banned the operation of battery-run auto-rickshaws, including easy bikes, in the city. Drivers mostly complied with the order until the Awami League government's fall in August this year.
Since then, such vehicles have been running not only on main roads but also highways, including the Dhaka-Chattogram and Chattogram-Cox's Bazar highways, causing huge traffic congestion. Earlier, some three-wheelers used to transport passengers only on branch roads.
Locals claimed the ban was not working after the political changeover due to the negligence of police and the authorities concerned.
According to sources, some 20,000 battery-run auto-rickshaws are running in the port city on pilfered electricity. They are seen in Patenga, Shershah, Baeyzid, Chawkbazar, CEPZ, Halishahar, Bandartila, Ehashan Mistrir Hat, Akbar Shah, Chandgaon, Karnaphuli Bridge area, Pahartali, Bakalia, Anderkilla, Laldighi, and other key areas in the city. Easy bikes are also running in the rural areas of Chattogram.
Shamim Uddin, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver, described battery-run auto-rickshaws as the main cause of traffic jams in Chattogram.
"Other vehicles cannot run on the road due to these. Traffic police often harass owners and drivers of various vehicles, such as CNG-run auto-rickshaws, microbuses, and cars. But they never take action against illegal battery-run vehicles," he told The Financial Express.
Easy bikes mostly use electricity connections illegally to charge their batteries. Such connections are available in roadside garages in the city and rural areas. There are around 282 charging stations in the port city area and several hundred in upazilas.
Sources said there are 30 charging stations in Patenga, 18 in Dewanhat, 25 in Pahartali, 22 in Akbar Shah, 52 in Chandgaon, 25 in Old Chawkbazar, and 35 in the Karnaphuli Bridge area.
Some garages also have "hidden" charging stations where power connections directly from utility poles are used. Local Power Development Board officials said easy bikes consume more than 100MW power every day in Chattogram.
City dweller Mohammed Ali Azam said the government should take strict action against those running such vehicles and also the use of pilfered electricity.
Chattogram Metropolitan Police officials said police had always resisted the operation of all types of battery-run auto-rickshaws, including easy bikes, on main roads.
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