Three-wheelers continue to use highways across Bangladesh despite ban

CNG-run three-wheelers and other slow-moving vehicles continued to operate on the highways yesterday despite a ban taking effect four days ago.

In some districts, a good number of auto-rickshaws came out on the highways on the pretext of refuelling at roadside filling stations, while others got onto the roads taking advantage of poor police vigilance.

Highway Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mallick Fakhrul Islam claimed that police were keeping a close watch to make sure these vehicles stay off the highways. Law enforcers were either penalising the operators or forcing them to leave whenever they saw these vehicles on the highways, he added.

Some 590 such vehicles have been fined and cases filed against 41 vehicles across the country from August 1 to 3 for operating on the highways, according to highway police.

Meanwhile, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday claimed that the number of accidents on highways has dropped in the last couple of days due to the ban.

Though no protest, demonstration or road blocking were reported yesterday, auto-rickshaw drivers and owners in some districts said they would launch tougher programmes soon protesting the ban.

In the last three days, protesters staged demonstrations, blocked highways and clashed with police in several districts, causing long tailbacks on highways and inflicting immense suffering on passengers.

Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary MAN Siddique had directed all deputy commissioners (DC) and superintendent of police (SP) across the country to strictly enforce the ban.

“We hope the operation of such vehicles on highways will significantly come down within a few days,” he told The Daily Star.

On July 27, Road Transport and Bridges Ministry issued an order, banning three-wheeler auto-rickshaws and other slow-moving and unfit vehicles on highways. The order came into effect from August 1.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Awami League-led 14-party alliance yesterday at a meeting expressed concern over the ban, saying it was not a rightful decision to ban the vehicles without ensuring an alternative for the drivers and owners of the vehicles.

Leaders of Workers' Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, National Awami Party (NAP) and Communist Kendra made the remarks.

Our correspondents from different districts report that a good number of three-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, battery-run easy bikes and other low-speed vehicles plied highways throughout the day yesterday.

In Gazipur, dozens of auto-rickshaws operated on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway from Rajendrapur intersection under Sadar upazila to Jainabazar under Sreepur upazila.

“Like the previous three days, I saw many CNG-run auto-rickshaws on the highway today [yesterday]. In fact, I travelled in one of those and faced no problem,” said Masum Billah.

However, Mawna Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge Helalul Islam claimed that no auto-rickshaw operated on the highway with passengers. Some came out for refuelling.

In Mymensingh, auto-rickshaws frequently shuttled between the district town and Trishal and Bhaluka using the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.

In Cox's Bazar, several hundred auto-rickshaws were seen plying the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar-Teknaf highway.

Cox's Bazar Superintendent of Police Shyamol Kumar Nath claimed that the drive against these vehicles on the highway was on. He, however, said that it was not possible to stop their movement in just one or two days.

In Manikganj, CNG-run auto-rickshaws operated on the Dhaka-Aricha highway on the excuse of refuelling.

Besides, these vehicles operated on Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Sylhet and Sirajganj-Rajshahi highways, report our Comilla, Narsingdi, Natore and Pabna correspondents.