Three-wheeler ban effective today
A platform of owners, drivers of CNG-run auto-rickshaws and other three-wheelers has demanded that the government withdraw its recent decision to ban the vehicles on highways, which goes into effect today.
At a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday, Bangladesh Auto-rickshaw and Auto-tempo Sangram Parishad also called for making a separate lane for such vehicles instead of imposing the embargo.
Every year, several thousand of people are being killed in accidents on highways. In many of the cases, slow, illegal, battery-run easy bikes, locally- and foreign-made three-wheelers, CNG-run auto-rickshaws are the main reasons for the accidents.
The government had banned the vehicles apart from the CNG-run auto-rickshaws five years ago, but the ban had little or no effect.
Golam Faruk, convener of the platform who read out a written statement at the press conference, said the government took the decision to ban the CNG-run auto-rickshaws on highways without considering the sufferings of owners, drivers and passengers.
There are several thousand owners and two lakh drivers. Around 10-12 lakh families, who are engaged in running the vehicles, would be affected by the ban, he said, adding that around 75 lakh people every day use the vehicles across the country.
The transport leader said there were many reasons for the road accidents, and it would not be reduced following the decision if the government did not take effective steps to make people obey the traffic rules.
Faruk said if the government introduced the lane system, the rate of accident would be reduced and a discipline in traffic system would return.
He said to realise the demands, they had announced a set of programmes, including submitting memorandums to deputy commissioners on August 4, forming human chains in district towns on August 8, holding rallies and bringing out processions in districts from August 9-11 and holding a rally in Dhaka in the first week of September.
At yesterday's programme, Abul Hossain, adviser of the parishad, said the government had taken the decision unilaterally, which was unacceptable.
The government should have discussed it with all stakeholders, he added.
Their other demands include stopping extortion on roads by police and political party men and stopping harassment in issuing licences and papers of vehicles by Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).
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