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Unlicensed auto-rickshaws rise in Rajshahi City

Published : Monday, 28 August, 2023 at 12:00 AM  Count : 798
Rafiqul Hasan Firoz
RAJSHAHI, August 27: In an unabated manner, unlicensed auto-rickshaws are increasing in the district city.

So far Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has approved licences to 17,000 rickshaws and auto-rickshaws. But their number is twice on city streets.

According to sources, city's law-enforcing agencies are contemplating to strengthen their efforts in bringing back discipline back to the streets.

According to the RCC data, the approval for charging rickshaws is 6,000 while for auto-rickshaws 11,000. But one source in the traffic law-enforcing unit said, at present, at least 38,000 auto-rickshaws are operating in the city.

Unauthorised vehicles are operating from outskirts to the heart of the city.

The unregulated presence of auto-rickshaws is causing traffic chaos and accidents in the city.

The Traffic Law Enforcement Department of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police is cracking down on this issue.

 They are trying to apply more professional tactics in controlling the situation.

 Though licences have been issued for rickshaws on paper, many are operating without these.
 
A local businessman Sujan Mia at Sahab Bazaar area said, earlier there was a limited number of rickshaws in the district. But now their number has increased significantly, he added.

Every road is crowded with vehicles. Police don't take proper action in this regard. They only check a few documents at some intersections, he maintained.

Abdul Kader, a resident of Railway Gate area, said, "These vehicles don't follow any rule. These obstruct roads."

According to an investigation, there are at least 50 auto-rickshaw manufacturing workshops. These workshops are producing about 500 new rickshaws per month.

There is an auto-rickshaw making facility in Talamari area of the city. It makes at least four auto-rickshaws monthly. Its Owner Mohammad Lalon said, "There are at least 50 such facilities in our city.

 All of us make and repair rickshaws. We produce four to six auto-rickshaws per month."

"We face no hurdle in our production. We make them on order. How they operate on the roads is not something we address."

Abu Saleh Mohammad Noor-e-Saied, chief revenue officer of the RCC said, "We are not issuing new licences for auto-rickshaws. According to our policy, we have issued licences for one rickshaw per household. We will address the remaining issues later on."

Anirban Chakma, deputy commissioner of the Traffic Division-Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, said, "We are conducting awareness campaigns among them. We are attaching written notices to these vehicles, urging them to not operate within the city without proper licences."

"Our campaign is ongoing. It will continue  in the future. Two types of vehicles have been coloured differently to easily identify them on the streets."

Dr Md Kamruzzaman, head of Urban and Regional Planning Department-Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, said, along with considering alternate to curb the issue, more professionalism needs to be exhibited by the Traffic Division. Only then can traffic discipline be restored in the streets of Rajshahi, he added.



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