Battery rickshaws stage a comeback

Despite a ban by the High Court, battery-run rickshaws, popularly known as ‘engine rickshaws,’ are again being run in some pockets of the capital.
Just a little more than a year ago, engine rickshaws had flooded the city, but now they are operational in some areas of Mohakhali, Wireless Gate, Chairman Bari, Tajmohol Road and Bongshal. These rickshaw operators pay bribes to local police and operate, mostly in the alleys and by-lanes of the residential areas.
Anwar Hossain, an engine rickshaw operator, runs his own rickshaw inside the residential areas of Wireless Gate in Mohakhali. “I pay Tk. 1,400 per month to the local police so that I can run my rickshaw. I usually ferry passengers up to Banani bridge. If I go past that, the police will seize my rickshaw,” he said.
Anwar said around 140–150 engine rickshaws are operational in this area. “This is my own rickshaw. I keep it in the Karail slum. Most of the
rickshaws are kept in the Karail slum as we recharge the batteries of our rickshaws there.”
He explained that most of the rickshaw operators are also the owners of the rickshaws they use. “Some of the owners rent out their rickshaws, but the rates are not too lucrative for the rickshaw-pullers. A regular rickshaw-puller needs to pay Tk. 100–150 per day to its owners, an engine rickshaw-puller needs to pay Tk. 300–350 to its owners,” he said.
An engine rickshaw can be operational only within a restricted area. So, such a rickshaw-puller cannot earn more than Tk. 500 per day. If he has to pay Tk. 300 to the owners, then he is left with only Tk. 200, explained Anwar.
Running the engine rickshaw business is not at all profitable, rued Mojnu Shah, owner of five engine rickshaws in Bongshal area. “Two years ago, I invested Tk. 16 lakh to buy 24 engine
rickshaws. Now I am left with only five,” he lamented.
“I have incurred great losses in this business. I wanted to run the business in accordance with legal norms, but I couldn’t do so, since no legal registration process was available.”
“In April 2013, when I bought these rickshaws, I could not get those registered as non-motorised vehicles, as the Dhaka South City Corporation did not recognise my rickshaws in that category. Finally, an official from Honli Limited, from which I have brought the rickshaws, suggested that I should rent rickshaw licences from the Dhaka Mahanagar Rickshaw Malik Samity. That is precisely what I did.”
He said at that time, many owners of regular rickshaws started converting their old rickshaws into motorised ones, simply by adding a motor and batteries to each. Shops in Karwan Bazar, Sutrapur, Hatkhola and Dholaikhal in Dhaka sell motors for Tk. 6,000 each and batteries for Tk. 7,000–9,000. Also, a new motor rickshaw is available for Tk. 60,000 to Tk. 65,000.  
But after the High Court ban and subsequent drives organised by the law enforcement personnel, almost all those rickshaws had been taken off the roads. “Some of the owners sent those rickshaws to the district towns, but even there, drives were conducted against the rickshaws. Most owners suffered great losses.”
He said the engines of some of the rickshaws were fitted to the easy-bikes which are operational in many district towns as well as in villages.
Meanwhile, large-scale engine rickshaw producers like Beevatech Ltd have stopped manufacturing engine rickshaws since last year. Beevatech Limited, an Uttara-based company, first marketed the improvised three-wheelers in 2011 by simply fitting
rechargeable batteries to the traditional rickshaws.  
“This was, of course legal, and we have a government-approved patent for this design. We took permission from the industries ministry and the Board of Investment,” said Saidur Rahman, managing director of Beevatech, the inventor and largest manufacturer of motorised rickshaws in Bangladesh.
The rickshaws made by Beevatech did not have batteries like the ones the banned Easy Bike or other engine rickshaws have. “Easy Bike or other engine rickshaws had five large batteries that require Tk. 60 worth of electricity everyday. Our designs require four small batteries that only need Tk. 20 worth of electricity,” Rahman said. He said after the ban by the High Court, they have stopped manufacturing the engine rickshaws.
Saiful Haque, director (engineering) of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), told The Independent that they have conducted massive drives after the High Court ban, and made
sure that no engine rickshaws ply on the road.
In July 3, 2014, the High Court banned plying of mechanised and battery-run rickshaws across the country as the vehicles are being run without any licences. The HC bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order after rejecting five writ petitions filed by rickshaw-owners.
“Those rickshaws were not motorised vehicles because just an engine can make a vehicle motorised. Those rickshaws were dangerous because most of these used to run three or four times faster than its usual speed, without having proper braking mechanisms. That increased the probability of accidents and we have received reports of many accidents.”
When Saiful was told about the re-appearance of the banned vehicles in some of the pockets of the capital, he pleased ignorance. “We are not aware of the situation. It is possible that some individual garages are operating those rickshaws. In our two-month-long drive in 2014, we made sure that no such rickshaw could ply on the road,” he said, adding that they will look into the matter.
Imtiaz Ahmed, deputy commissioner of traffic (west) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said ahead of Eid, many rickshaws have come to the capital from the outskirts of Dhaka. “The engine rickshaws might also try to make a comeback because of Eid. We will take steps against those,” he promised.

 

 

Battery rickshaws stage a comeback

Despite a ban by the High Court, battery-run rickshaws, popularly known as engine rickshaws, are again being run in some pockets of the capital. Just a little more than a year ago, engine rickshaws had flooded the city, but now they are operational in some areas of Mohakhali, Wireless Gate, Chairman Bari, Tajmohol Road and Bongshal. These rickshaw operators pay bribes to local police and operate, mostly in the alleys and by-lanes of the residential areas. Anwar Hossain, an engine rickshaw operator, runs his own rickshaw inside the residential areas of Wireless Gate in Mohakhali. I pay Tk. 1,400 per month to the local police so that I can run my rickshaw. I usually ferry passengers up to Banani bridge. If I go past that, the police will seize my rickshaw, he said. Anwar said around 140150 engine rickshaws are operational in this area. This is my own rickshaw. I keep it in the Karail slum. Most of the rickshaws are kept in the Karail slum as we recharge the batteries of our rickshaws there. He explained that most of the rickshaw operators are also the owners of the rickshaws they use. Some of the owners rent out their rickshaws, but the rates are not too lucrative for the rickshaw-pullers. A regular rickshaw-puller needs to pay Tk. 100150 per day to its owners, an engine rickshaw-puller needs to pay Tk. 300350 to its owners, he said. An engine rickshaw can be operational only within a restricted area. So, such a rickshaw-puller cannot earn more than Tk. 500 per day. If he has to pay Tk. 300 to the owners, then he is left with only Tk. 200, explained Anwar. Running the engine rickshaw business is not at all profitable, rued Mojnu Shah, owner of five engine rickshaws in Bongshal area. Two years ago, I invested Tk. 16 lakh to buy 24 engine rickshaws. Now I am left with only five, he lamented. I have incurred great losses in this business. I wanted to run the business in accordance with legal norms, but I couldnt do so, since no legal registration process was available. In April 2013, when I bought these rickshaws, I could not get those registered as non-motorised vehicles, as the Dhaka South City Corporation did not recognise my rickshaws in that category. Finally, an official from Honli Limited, from which I have brought the rickshaws, suggested that I should rent rickshaw licences from the Dhaka Mahanagar Rickshaw Malik Samity. That is precisely what I did. He said at that time, many owners of regular rickshaws started converting their old rickshaws into motorised ones, simply by adding a motor and batteries to each. Shops in Karwan Bazar, Sutrapur, Hatkhola and Dholaikhal in Dhaka sell motors for Tk. 6,000 each and batteries for Tk. 7,0009,000. Also, a new motor rickshaw is available for Tk. 60,000 to Tk. 65,000. But after the High Court ban and subsequent drives organised by the law enforcement personnel, almost all those rickshaws had been taken off the roads. Some of the owners sent those rickshaws to the district towns, but even there, drives were conducted against the rickshaws. Most owners suffered great losses. He said the engines of some of the rickshaws were fitted to the easy-bikes which are operational in many district towns as well as in villages. Meanwhile, large-scale engine rickshaw producers like Beevatech Ltd have stopped manufacturing engine rickshaws since last year. Beevatech Limited, an Uttara-based company, first marketed the improvised three-wheelers in 2011 by simply fitting rechargeable batteries to the traditional rickshaws. This was, of course legal, and we have a government-approved patent for this design. We took permission from the industries ministry and the Board of Investment, said Saidur Rahman, managing director of Beevatech, the inventor and largest manufacturer of motorised rickshaws in Bangladesh. The rickshaws made by Beevatech did not have batteries like the ones the banned Easy Bike or other engine rickshaws have. Easy Bike or other engine rickshaws had five large batteries that require Tk. 60 worth of electricity everyday. Our designs require four small batteries that only need Tk. 20 worth of electricity, Rahman said. He said after the ban by the High Court, they have stopped manufacturing the engine rickshaws. Saiful Haque, director (engineering) of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), told The Independent that they have conducted massive drives after the High Court ban, and made sure that no engine rickshaws ply on the road. In July 3, 2014, the High Court banned plying of mechanised and battery-run rickshaws across the country as the vehicles are being run without any licences. The HC bench of Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order after rejecting five writ petitions filed by rickshaw-owners. Those rickshaws were not motorised vehicles because just an engine can make a vehicle motorised. Those rickshaws were dangerous because most of these used to run three or four times faster than its usual speed, without having proper braking mechanisms. That increased the probability of accidents and we have received reports of many accidents. When Saiful was told about the re-appearance of the banned vehicles in some of the pockets of the capital, he pleased ignorance. We are not aware of the situation. It is possible that some individual garages are operating those rickshaws. In our two-month-long drive in 2014, we made sure that no such rickshaw could ply on the road, he said, adding that they will look into the matter. Imtiaz Ahmed, deputy commissioner of traffic (west) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said ahead of Eid, many rickshaws have come to the capital from the outskirts of Dhaka. The engine rickshaws might also try to make a comeback because of Eid. We will take steps against those, he promised.