Rickshaws in Dhaka

Photo: narijibon.blogspot.com

It was very disappointing to read your article in DS of 29 March entitled “Gridlocked”. Being a former secretary to the government, I would have expected balanced views where the interests of all Dhakabashis are served. Unfortunately, some of your suggestions lack logic and practicability viz:
1. Increase in number of buses will create more gridlock as they carry only about 20-25% of Dhaka's total passengers who are mostly young and physically fit. They ply on just the few main trunk routes only. Most roads are too narrow to accommodate them.
2. At a stroke you demote 50% of passengers who use rickshaws for short point-to-point journeys to become pedestrians. How will the old, infirm, disabled, women, children go to bazaar, school, office etc.?
3. Rickshaw related activities generate about Tk.10 crore every day for about 20-25 lakh people who pull, repair, make them and their families. Yet you want to tax them additionally.
4. You do NOT mention that Dhaka has about 3-4 lakh private cars already (against 3-3.5 lakh rickshaws occupying 30 sft space)) occupying 70-100 sft of space each, 75% of road space while carrying less than 2% of passengers at astronomical costs. During any gridlock you are stuck in, just get down and survey the number of empty cars involved.
5. Instead of encouraging more use of CNG autos you advocate tripling (and crippling) taxes on them. How pro-people is that when they carry more passengers than private cars at lesser cost?
6. There is no need to increase bureaucracy three times in BRTA, DOE, DCC, DTCB etc if their corruption can be decreased three-fold.
7. The basic cause of Gridlock in Dhaka is the inflated egos of owners of Gas Guzzling Monstrosities who cannot even think about walking, cycling or taking a CNG for short trips and illegal parking and license-less drivers.
In this connection I have written 36 letters to The Daily Star, most of which have been printed. Facts and figures given there have never been refuted, rather they have been supported by most sensible readers. How can any sane person advocate the banning of rickshaws in our present economic condition when there is no viable alternative. Yet you propose taxing them and confining them to lanes, when these are already occupied by parked cars.