KCC crackdown on battery-run rickshaws from today

Khulna City Corporation is going to conduct drives against battery-run rickshaws from today.

Faruq Hossain Talukder, senior licenceofficer of KCC, told The Daily Star that the move came as per its decision taken on July 1.“All such rickshaws are plying the city streets defying ban,” said the official.

On the other hand, battery-run rickshaw owners protested the move. “We have submitted a memorandum to the mayor, deputy commissioner and ward councillors[yesterday] to allow us to ply the rickshaws," said MdFokran, general secretary of city unit of Bangladesh Rickshaw Malik League.

Drivers of the vehicles said the crackdown will bring woes to around 25,000 families.

The KCC authorities gave licence to 17,000 rickshaws that were turned into battery-run ones later, said KCC official Faruq. Now,the number has risen to 25,000, he added.

The number of legal rickshaws is not more than 200 in the city, he further said.

KCC Mayor Talukder Abdul Khalequesaid,“We will remove battery-run rickshaws from the city streets by any means.”