Regularising battery-run three-wheelers

Battery-run three-wheelers are a cheap form of public transport, commonly used in both urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. According to a gross estimate, more than 1.0 million battery-run rickshaws and easy bikes are plying across the country. They are, no doubt, playing a crucial role particularly in rural Bangladesh. They have generated thousands of low-paid employments as drivers, technicians, spare-part traders and importers. Rural people almost solely rely on these three-wheelers.
Amid the ongoing energy crisis, Bangladesh has recently resorted to some austerity measures to save electricity. The government has already announced a series of measures. Against this backdrop, some people are calling for a complete ban on battery-run rickshaws and auto-rickshaws. But before banning battery-powered vehicles, we must consider that it would mean making hundreds of thousands of people unemployed.
These vehicles help increase the mobility of many people within a short distance. They make travel a little cheaper than paddled rickshaws. Most of our rural areas do not have adequate and convenient public transports. Hence, these vehicles are a blessing for rural people. If these vehicles are banned, our rural economy will immediately fall into trouble. So, I like to urge the authorities concerned to instruct all local government organisations (city corporations, municipalities and union parishads) to issue licenses to battery-run rickshaws and easy bikes to bring discipline on our roads.
Md. Ashraf Hossain,
120, Middle Bashabo, Dhaka-1214,
[email protected]