Tussle over fate of three-wheelers in Barisal

Notwithstanding a High Court (HC) ban on plying of battery-operated three-wheelers in the city area, the Barisal City Corporation (BCC) has started renewing licenses of such vehicles for more than a year.
When asked, BCC mayor Ahsan Habib Kamal said the city corporation took the decision for the greater interest of common people.
However, Abu Saleh Md Rayhan, DC traffic of the Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP), described the decision as illegal. He said Kamal requested them not to harrass three-wheelers for one more year, even though the BMP had already launched a programme to prevent such vehicles from plying in the city area.
Earlier, following the HC order to stop plying of battery-operated three-wheelers in the city area, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), BMP and BCC had held several meetings to discuss the ways to realise the court's order. During these meetings, the BCC had requested others not to start drives against the battery-operated three wheeler till June 30 this year, as it had issued licenses and allowed renewal of licenses to such vehicles up to that date. The city corporation had even promised that it would not renew licenses of three-wheelers anymore.
But without informing other authorities, including BRTA and BMP, the BCC recently held a emergency meeting and decided to renew licenses of these vehicles for more than one year. The BMP immediately contacted the BCC in this regard, but did not get any satisfactory answer, said Rayhan.
Before June 30, owners and divers of battery-operated three-wheelers formed human chains and arranged protest meetings across the district. They threatened to start a strong movement if the BCC decided to ban the mode of transport. They also demanded specified guidelines, rehabilitation and end of harassment.
At present, over 7,000 battery-operated three-wheelers, known as  'easy-bike' or 'auto-rickshaw', ply on the streets of the city. These vehicles often create traffic nuisance and pose the risk of serious accidents. Police conducted several drives, albeit with limited success, to stop plying of these vehicles inside the city area.
BCC sources claimed that the BCC issued licenses to 2,610 auto-rickshaws in the city. But the number of unregistered vehicles operating in the city amounts to more than double of this number, they said.
Md Shelim Hasan Chowdury, in-charge of Natun Bazar power substation under WZPDCO, said each of these vehicles needed, on  average, 10 units of electricity for recharge every night and fulfils their power requirements using illegal meters or hooked connections. He said the WZPDCO was losing around Tk. 770,000 daily from such power pilferage.

 

Tussle over fate of three-wheelers in Barisal

Notwithstanding a High Court (HC) ban on plying of battery-operated three-wheelers in the city area, the Barisal City Corporation (BCC) has started renewing licenses of such vehicles for more than a year. When asked, BCC mayor Ahsan Habib Kamal said the city corporation took the decision for the greater interest of common people. However, Abu Saleh Md Rayhan, DC traffic of the Barisal Metropolitan Police (BMP), described the decision as illegal. He said Kamal requested them not to harrass three-wheelers for one more year, even though the BMP had already launched a programme to prevent such vehicles from plying in the city area. Earlier, following the HC order to stop plying of battery-operated three-wheelers in the city area, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), BMP and BCC had held several meetings to discuss the ways to realise the courts order. During these meetings, the BCC had requested others not to start drives against the battery-operated three wheeler till June 30 this year, as it had issued licenses and allowed renewal of licenses to such vehicles up to that date. The city corporation had even promised that it would not renew licenses of three-wheelers anymore. But without informing other authorities, including BRTA and BMP, the BCC recently held a emergency meeting and decided to renew licenses of these vehicles for more than one year. The BMP immediately contacted the BCC in this regard, but did not get any satisfactory answer, said Rayhan. Before June 30, owners and divers of battery-operated three-wheelers formed human chains and arranged protest meetings across the district. They threatened to start a strong movement if the BCC decided to ban the mode of transport. They also demanded specified guidelines, rehabilitation and end of harassment. At present, over 7,000 battery-operated three-wheelers, known as easy-bike or auto-rickshaw, ply on the streets of the city. These vehicles often create traffic nuisance and pose the risk of serious accidents. Police conducted several drives, albeit with limited success, to stop plying of these vehicles inside the city area. BCC sources claimed that the BCC issued licenses to 2,610 auto-rickshaws in the city. But the number of unregistered vehicles operating in the city amounts to more than double of this number, they said. Md Shelim Hasan Chowdury, in-charge of Natun Bazar power substation under WZPDCO, said each of these vehicles needed, on average, 10 units of electricity for recharge every night and fulfils their power requirements using illegal meters or hooked connections. He said the WZPDCO was losing around Tk. 770,000 daily from such power pilferage.