In a major development that goes against a government move taken earlier this year, the traffic division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) decided that it will no longer allow battery–run autorickshaws (locally made three-wheelers) and other slow-moving vehicles to ply the main roads in the capital.
In May, amid the protests by battery-driven autorickshaw drivers, the government decided to legalize these vehicles across the country.
DMP Joint Commissioner (Traffic-South) SM Mehedi Hasan told a press conference at the DMP Media Centre in Dhaka on Saturday that the latest decision is being implemented alongside enforcement of the law.
"We have started the process of designating some smaller roads for these vehicles. We have already selected some roads in the Dhanmondi area. These vehicles are no longer running on the main roads of Mirpur. Slow-moving vehicles, including autorickshaws, will not be allowed on the main roads, such as Pragati Smarani and VIP Road. We are coordinating both planning and enforcement together,” UNB quoted him as saying.
“Autorickshaws will only operate on smaller roads. They will not be allowed on major roads. However, this has caused some confusion among the autorickshaw drivers,” he added.
Looking back
In a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on May 20, the decision was made to legalize these semi-automatic and electric battery-driven passenger carriers nationwide.
Quoting the premier after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina instructed the regulation of autorickshaw drivers.
Earlier in that day, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has allowed battery-run autorickshaws to ply the roads in Dhaka.
The developments followed a notice by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority that banned battery-run rickshaws, van rickshaws, and other three-wheelers from the streets of Dhaka, claiming it will reduce the number of accidents.
The two mayors of the Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations also approved the removal of the battery-run three-wheelers from the streets.
This stirred violent protests by rickshaw drivers in the capital.
On May 30, Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, the prime minister`s adviser for power, energy and mineral resources said that the plan to licence battery-run autorickshaws by setting standards for the vehicles is at the final stages.
The livelihood
The livelihoods of 2-3 million families in the country now depend on these vehicles, according to him.
Tawfiq said that the government was planning a big event where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will launch the work to legalise the vehicles within two to three months.
Currently, more than one million electric battery-driven autorickshaws are operating across the country.
`Tesla of Bangla`
State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid on Febryary 8 termed the battery-run auto-rickshaws made with Bangladeshi technology the “Tesla of Bangla.”
“They are using their creativity to build these vehicles. We are not stopping them,” he said in reference to American electric carmaker Tesla while responding to a supplementary question of ruling party MP Shamim Osman in the House.
The lawmaker had demanded a ban on auto-rickshaws, but the minister said that these vehicles should be encouraged.
He mentioned that the efficiency of an oil-powered car is 20%. On the other hand, the efficiency level of the electricity-run engine is 80%. "Basically, we encourage electric cars to come to market as fast as possible.”
He mentioned that if it takes Tk100 to go a distance in an oil-powered vehicle, it will take Tk20 to go that distance in an electricity-run vehicle.
The state minister said that the Power Division has made it a policy to set up electric vehicle charging stations. According to this policy, anyone can make a charge station.
