Battery-Run Rickshaws on DSCC Roads: Defying ban, they keep on running
Following the High Court ruling in 2015, number of illegal battery-run rickshaws were decreasing in DSCC’s streets. However, during the pandemic, when monitoring was relaxed, their presence increased manifold, leading to DSCC banning the vehicles in September last year. This photo was taken from Mugda area yesterday. Photo: SK Enamul Haq Run, shouted battery-powered rickshaw driver Sajib to his cohorts. A police van was approaching their group of five standing at the Section area beside Gabtoli-Babubazar Road near Kamrangirchar, and they could not afford to stay still.
In the blink of an eye, all five dispersed. From their initial position, they moved to places where police could not get to them. But as soon as the van left, they were back at it again.
Amid growing concerns over the casualties at unauthorised and unmanned railway level crossings, the authorities yesterday decided to take several measures to ensure safety.
The steps include constructing speed breakers on each side of level crossings, reducing the number of illegal level crossings and erecting overpasses or underpasses in future projects, officials said.
The decisions were made in an inter-ministerial meeting over the issue at Rail Bhaban yesterday.
Representatives of LGRD, road transport and bridges, railways ministries and Bangladesh Railway (BR) were present at the meeting with Railways Ministry Secretary Salim Reza in the chair.
The meeting was held at a time when around 70 percent authorised level crossings do not have dedicated manpower. Besides, there are 1,149 unauthorised level crossings which have no gateman.
The committees make similar recommendations time and again, but those are hardly implemented.
In the meantime, road crashes continue to take a heavy toll on lives and properties.
Experts made the observation while talking to The Daily Star yesterday after a taskforce, formed for the government cause, held a closed-door meeting to discuss recommendations by four sub-committees.
After the meeting, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters, The four sub-committees made recommendations on implementing 111 recommendations [given by a committee] on curbing road crashes and bringing discipline in the transport sector. We have discussed those. We will hold more discussions in the next meeting.