A growing number of battery-run rickshaws and locally-made motorised three-wheelers, known as Nasimon, Karimon and Bhatboti, are still seen carrying passengers on the highways across the country. It was learnt that these vehicles, with no valid licences, road permits or fitness certificates, are plying the roads by bribing the traffic police.
Tens of thousands of these slow-moving vehicles are in operation flouting a ban imposed by the government in 2012. These battery-run rickshaws powered by four rechargeable batteries, involves the risk of fatal accidents. The locally-made motorized vehicles are powered by shallow pump machines which are used by farmers to pump water for irrigation.
"We pay the police Tk 200 to Tk 300 per month for each battery-run rickshaw or Nasimon, Karimon and Bhatboti to let us ply our vehicles on the inter-district routes," A battery-run rickshawpuller told the Daily Observer on Tuesday. The newly-introduced illegal battery-run rickshaws have also turned out to be a curse on the road. They are made in such a way that the wheels are not engineered to endure speeding. Apart from that, the drivers do not care for traffic rules and regulations.
This trend has developed since the last Eid when traffic police, in exchange for petty bribes, were seen slackening the rules to allow manual and battery-run rickshaws and rickshaw vans to ply the roads adjacent to different market places. The High Court on January 25 2017 imposed a ban on plying of improvised three-wheelers Nasimon, Karimon and Bhatboti, on the highways across the country to reduce the number of road accidents.
The authorities do not know how many of this new mode of battery-run rickshaws and locally-made motorised three-wheelers are in operation in the country. These bikes are run by motors, instead of engines. The vehicle emits acids and consumes a huge quantity of electricity every day for recharging, adding to the nagging load shedding. A source in the Power Development Board (PDB) said each auto-bike, which has to be charged for eight hours daily, consumes 7 to 8 units of electricity when a motorised-rickshaw consumes around 2 to 3 units every day. Locals complained that the recharging stations of the vehicles use electricity connections illegally.
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) said it will not give approval for the use of such battery-powered rickshaws. He said all motor vehicles need six types of documents to be on the roads but the motorised-rickshaws and easy-bikes have none. "These vehicles are illegal," a source in the BRTA said. "Some leaders of the ruling party's associate organisation Shramik League are involved in the motorised-rickshaw trade. For this reason, traffic police cannot restrict their movement on the roads," he added.
Earlier on July 27 in 2015, Road Transport and Bridges Ministry also issued an order banning the three-wheelers and other slow-moving and unfit vehicles on 22 highways to curb road accidents and loss of lives. The order came into effect on August 1. n
Accident Research Institute (ARI) of BUET source said operation of such vehicles is one of the major causes of accidents on the highways. Police across the country including Dhaka Metropolitan Police took strict measures against traffic offences amid widespread protests following the deaths of two students in a road accident in the city.
Meanwhile, police are not taking any action against the battery-run rickshaws and locally-made Nasimon, Karimon and Bhatboti as they collect huge monthly bribe money from the vehicle owners, the source added.
