DNCC to debar rickshaw movement on main roads

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) said on Tuesday that it would debar rickshaw movement on main thoroughfares within its purview while a campaign is underway against battery-driven rickshaws.

“Rickshaw will run on internal or service roads alone,” DNCC administrator Mohammad Azaz told newsmen as he was overseeing a drive against battery-run rickshaws in Asad gate area as part of a campaign, reports BSS.

He said the ban would be enforced as part of the interim government plan to ensure road safety and discipline vehicles on the city streets while it included the drive against the battery-run rickshaws as well, jointly by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and the DNCC.

Azaz said a recent survey found the battery-driven rickshaws to cause 20 per cent of road accidents, with women and children being the majority of victims, as these vehicles were not manufactured following any proper guidelines or considering passenger safety.

He said pedestrians were also often seen to be overrun by these vehicles due to their design and uncontrolled speed.

The top DNCC official, however, said the government allowed some companies to manufacture battery-run rickshaws in line with a design developed with the help of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

He said initiatives were taken to train rickshaw drivers who would get licences to ply on designated city streets with approved rickshaws under a fare chart to be developed for certain distances.