Unauthorised battery-run rickshaws rule Narayanganj roads

At least 10,000 battery-run-rickshaws, widely known as auto-rickshaws, are plying different roads in the district, including the city.
These vehicles have obtained licenses from neither the city corporation nor the union council for plying the roads.
But some local men on every route have formed a committee which collects toll of Tk 60 to 100 from each of the auto-rickshaws in the name of giving them safety.
An auto-rickshaw driver named Shah Alam who runs his vehicle from Dewanbari to Morgan High School in the city said that each of all the drivers has to pay Tk60 to the unauthorised committee men.
Dewanbari station committee men take Tk20 and Morgan station committee men take Tk40 from each of the drivers every day.
According to some auto-rickshaw drivers, the total account of average Tk60 toll from each of the 10,000 auto-rickshaws on the routes in the district every day stands at Tk6.00 lakh.
“As we have no license from any authorities, we have to pay toll to a locally formed illegal committee; otherwise they interrupt in parking rickshaws,” a driver named Shafik said. Battery-run-rickshaw has now become source of toll collection for local touts, a traffic police said requesting not to be named.
Sajjad Hossain Khokon, owner of a battery-run rickshaw, said, “If the authorities concerned give us license, we will be able to form a committee to control any toll collection. Now we have no legality,” he added. Battery-run auto-rickshaws were imported as an environment- friendly transport, but in vain.

 

Unauthorised battery-run rickshaws rule Narayanganj roads

At least 10,000 battery-run-rickshaws, widely known as auto-rickshaws, are plying different roads in the district, including the city. These vehicles have obtained licenses from neither the city corporation nor the union council for plying the roads. But some local men on every route have formed a committee which collects toll of Tk 60 to 100 from each of the auto-rickshaws in the name of giving them safety. An auto-rickshaw driver named Shah Alam who runs his vehicle from Dewanbari to Morgan High School in the city said that each of all the drivers has to pay Tk60 to the unauthorised committee men. Dewanbari station committee men take Tk20 and Morgan station committee men take Tk40 from each of the drivers every day. According to some auto-rickshaw drivers, the total account of average Tk60 toll from each of the 10,000 auto-rickshaws on the routes in the district every day stands at Tk6.00 lakh. As we have no license from any authorities, we have to pay toll to a locally formed illegal committee; otherwise they interrupt in parking rickshaws, a driver named Shafik said. Battery-run-rickshaw has now become source of toll collection for local touts, a traffic police said requesting not to be named. Sajjad Hossain Khokon, owner of a battery-run rickshaw, said, If the authorities concerned give us license, we will be able to form a committee to control any toll collection. Now we have no legality, he added. Battery-run auto-rickshaws were imported as an environment- friendly transport, but in vain.