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Battery-run rickshaws usually operate in alleys to dodge the police as these are banned in Dhaka due to the risk of accidents involved with the high-speed light vehicles.
But with public transit shut down over coronavirus dragging on, the three-wheelers are now running on the empty main roads and people are also taking the battery-run rickshaw rides to travel faster despite the safety risks, reports bdnews24.com.
Abdus Sobhan, a resident of Malibagh, hired a battery-run rickshaw for a trip to Notun Bazar at Tk 80.
“It will take 25 to 30 minutes to reach my destination. The time would be over an hour for a rickshaw with pedals. Moreover, I’ll be able to keep physical distancing,” he explained.
“I’m aware of the risk of accident, but I must travel fast,” he added.
The driver, ‘Habib’, lives at Kamrangirchar. He said he stopped pulling rickshaw because the demand for battery-run rickshaw was high.
He knew all too well that the police may seize his vehicle. But he was past caring because he was making “good money”. He brings home Tk 300-350 after paying the owner Tk 150.
Asked why he was driving the banned vehicle, he said: “I had been housebound for a month. Who will feed my family? I tried pulling rickshaw, but there are very few passengers. Now I see the demand for battery-run rickshaw is high.”
Schoolteacher Mobarak Hossain was travelling to Segunbagicha by a battery-run rickshaw.
“I know that battery-run rickshaws don’t have permission from the city corporations. But autorickshaw fare is very high,” he said.
Jabbar Ali, a rickshaw-puller, said many of the owners were fitting the three-wheelers with battery as the demand was rising even though the vehicles often cause accidents.
The police were also taking action. They seized battery-run rickshaws in Kadam Fountain, Gulistan, Mouchak and some other areas.