Rickshaw ban plan boomerangs

Shafiqul Alam It was assumed that the ban on rickshaws on several streets in the capital would ease city's traffic congestion. However, whether the ban has reduced congestion or not is debatable, but the drive has, certainly, increased sufferings of the mass in the absence of available alternatives. Now, the number of rickshaws at Shantinagar, Bijoynagar, Paltan, Mouchak-Malibagh, and the adjoining areas is fewer, causing sufferings to the city commuters. Moreover, such ban on rickshaws has become a curse for the most vulnerable commuters, like women, children, elderly and the handicapped, as they are deprived of availing their most suitable means of transport. Residents of many areas, especially school children, are facing great difficulty in getting rickshaws now. The rickshaw-pullers seem reluctant to take passengers on many routes while they demand exorbitant fare. What is worse, auto-rickshaws as well as buses are not available for short trips. The initiative to ban rickshaws was taken apparently on the basis of some prejudices against rickshaws, even when this mode caters to the needs of the majority of the middle and lower class people of the city while the modal share of automobiles is significantly little given their numbers. The lessons of Mirpur road, where non-motorised vehicles were banned, are not satisfactory, to say the least. After the Mirpur road demonstrations, various reports were published suggesting there was no indication of any improvement in the traffic scenario. According to a report, no travel time gain for fuel-dependent vehicles was achieved due to the rickshaw ban; bus travel has worsened and it has become even slower than rickshaw; an increase in congestion due to taxi operators' reluctance to take short trips and significant increase in waiting times for passengers. The economic impact of the fuel-free transport ban has been devastating; figures show losses as high as Tk 1.52 billion per year in the area. Overall, the banning of fuel-free transport has deteriorated accessibility of the majority of road users by cutting access to side roads, destroying the continuity of the transport system, and hampering door-to-door mobility of passengers. In government sponsored studies the overall net impact of rickshaw ban was disproportionately in the negative side. Over the years, many people, including planners, have been blaming rickshaws for being slow even though "slow moving" is a relative term. Again, transportation problem in Dhaka is not as like as other cities, given that most trips here are short in distance, usually one to five kilometers, which is very much suitable for environmentally-friendly and fuel-free transport, the rickshaw. The government has taken many initiatives to reduce traffic congestion in Dhaka but with little or no success. Blaming rickshaws for severe traffic congestion and subsequently banning them from major roads has not had the desired effect. Congestion is still as bad as before. Rickshaws thus cannot be seen as the only cause of traffic congestion rather one should apply wisdom and look into other issues like parking on roads given that a significant portion of road space is occupied by parked vehicles. An important point is to be noted that the number of rickshaw pullers in the city is noteworthy and if the government ban rickshaws on all roads, then what would be their means of income? Not only rickshaw pullers but also their family members are dependent on this sector. It is mentionable that the government put an embargo on the use of polythene bags in 2002 to save the environment. But even after a decade, shopkeepers, still, use polythene bags and we also prefer polythene bags. There is lack of monitoring in the issue and thus the initiative taken by the government in 2002 has not been successful. The ban was put abruptly without considering the habit of the people but if a time frame was given to become used to other options, the situation might have been different. Likewise, the sudden ban on rickshaw, the principal mode of transport, on several roads has only increased the sufferings of majority of the people in a number of ways, such as increased rickshaw fare, lack of available transport etc. However, it is not suggested that rickshaws should have access to all roads but the slow moving mode can be withdrawn if there is alternative and comfortable mode of transport. For the time being, narrow lanes can be provided for rickshaws. The writer can be reached at email: shafiqul0032@yahoo.com