Plying of battery-run auto-rickshaws, vans to stay banned: Home minister

A group of day labourers boarding in a three-wheeler in the highway of Dhaka-Pabna on 11 April
Hasan Mahmud

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Sunday said a decision has been taken to stop plying of battery-run auto-rickshaws and vans on streets.

"The decision was taken as part of the committee’s recommendations to strengthen discipline in the road transport sector and check accidents," he told reporters after a meeting of the Road Transport Taskforce at the home ministry's conference room at Bangladesh secretariat here.

The committee had 111 recommendations, of which a number of recommendations have been implementing, while a few number of recommendations were implemented, the minister said.

"Now we have decided on a course of action on how to implement the rest of recommendations," Kamal said.

Highlighting the decision of the meeting, he said, "We have noticed that rickshaws and vans are running on the roads across the country setting up batteries and motors."

The minister further said that movement of “Easybike”, “Nasimon” (motorised van) and “Bhatbhati” (motorised three wheelers) will also be shut down on streets in phases after discussion.

"Only front wheels of these vehicles have brakes, but rear wheels have no brakes or even if there is a system, it is inadequate. When they brake, rickshaws or vans loaded with passengers overturns. We have seen such scenes on the road," said the home minister.

Replying to a query about road accidents due to these vehicles, the minister said Easybike, Nasimon and Bhatbhati and auto rickshaws have been running in different cities for long.

"As we could not arrange transportation everywhere, that's why Nasimon, Karimon and Bhatbhati are working as an alternative transport or vehicles to carry passengers and goods," said Asaduzzaman

The minister said that the task force will also discuss soon whether it can be controlled and finally closed, adding, "We will work on this too."

Shajahan Khan, acting president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation, Moshiur Rahman Ranga, president of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, Benazir Ahmed, Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other taskforce members joined the meeting in person and virtually.