Battery-run rickshaw drivers clash over ban

Battery-run rickshaw drivers yesterday clashed with pedal rickshaw-pullers while protesting a ban on their vehicles in Banani.

The drivers, armed with sticks and canes, also swooped on motorcyclists, and anyone documenting their demonstration, at different points in Banani area.

Video footages of the clashes quickly went viral on social media.

The protest, which has been ongoing for several days, escalated yesterday, with chases and counter chases between batter-run rickshaw drivers and pedal rickshaw pullers.

"Since 11:00am, battery-run rickshaw drivers had gathered on Banani Road-11 and began attacking pedal-rickshaw pullers. People from the local society stepped in to support the pedal-rickshaw drivers. Battery-run rickshaw drivers then chased them. Later, some residents from Karail slum and nearby areas joined the protest and blocked the road," said Mehedi Hasan, inspector (investigation) of Banani Police Station.

 Abdul Jalil, president of the Gulshan-Banani-Badda Auto-rickshaw, Easybike Drivers' Association, said around 8,000 battery-run rickshaws operate in the area.

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"This morning, pedal-rickshaw pullers and locals attacked battery-run rickshaw drivers. In response, the drivers gathered and launched a protest in the Banani-11 area," Jalil claimed.

He said their protest was called off on Saturday after police gave assurance that they could run on alleyways but not main roads.

The protest and sporadic clashes continued till afternoon, before law enforcers were deployed to the area to maintain order.

Al Amin Hossain, additional deputy commissioner (Gulshan Zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said the battery-run rickshaw drivers had alleged that they were intercepted and assaulted by people from Gulshan Society in the morning near Gulshan area.

The drivers then regrouped and swooped on the people from the society near Banani-11, and also attacked pedal-rickshaw pullers and individuals who attempted to take photos or videos of the incident there, he said.

Army personnel later removed them from Banani-11 after 2:00pm, he added.

The ban on battery-run rickshaws came into effect on Saturday morning, jointly enforced by the Gulshan and Banani societies, DMP, and Dhaka North City Corporation following complaints from residents over traffic congestion and road safety issues since the vehicles started plying the main roads after August 5 last year.

Under the new restrictions, battery-run rickshaws are prohibited from operating on both main and inner roads in Gulshan-1, Gulshan-2, and Banani. Only registered pedal rickshaws are currently allowed to operate in these areas.