Unauthorised three-wheelers continue to rule roads

PICTURE TELLS THE TALE: Passengers and animals travel together on a three-wheeler on Pirganj-Khalashpir road in Rangpur. These illegal vehicles rule the roads and highways in the district despite repeated protests as the law enforcers turn a blind eye to the matter. PHOTO: STAR

Movement of locally made three-wheelers on different roads and highways in Pirganj upazila continued unabated despite frequent protests and lack of legal documents.

Several times transport owners association and transport workers association of the district appealed to the authorities concerned to ban plying of the vehicles, locally known as Nasimon, Karimon and Bhutbhuti, on highways and also enforced strike. But they remained indifferent to the matter.

A section of dishonest policemen and transport workers association leaders are openly backing the unauthorised vehicles in exchange of illegal toll. Because of this, the number of the illegal vehicles are increasing on roads, causing accidents, alleged aggrieved bus drivers.

Sources said, in Pirganj, at least 500 unauthorised vehicles were now plying on different routes regularly.

Kamrul Hasan Jewel, general secretary of Pirganj press club, told this correspondent that most of the drivers of the unauthorised vehicles are untrained for which accidents occur very often.

Kamrul said, these kinds of vehicles are also a source of noise pollution on highways.

The three-wheelers drop passengers here and there at their will adding to chaos and traffic jam, he further said.

Monir Uddin, 45, of Zafarpara and a regular passenger of the three-wheelers told this correspondent that he uses the vehicles because of its low fare and absence of any alternative means to go to his village.

Seeking anonymity, drivers and owners of the three-wheelers said that they pay Tk. 20 to 50 a day to the policemen and workers' association leaders for plying the illegal vehicles on the roads and highways.

If we fail to pay the toll, they harass us, they added.

Refuting the allegation, Md Israil Hossain, officer in-charge of Pirganj police station, said a section of association leaders were involved with the toll collection from the vehicles.

We are trying our best to stop the plying of the unauthorised vehicles on the roads and highways in the upazila, he said.