More than four kha illegal rickshaws are now plying on the Dhaka city streets causing terrible traffic jams and increasing public sufferings, according to Traffic Control Department of Dhaka Metropoliton Police.
But the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has no information about the actual number of illegal rickshaws under the corporation area. The DCC currently has about 80,000 licensed rickshaws.
In 2006-07 and 2007-08 fiscals, the DCC renewed a total of 79,554 rickshaws’ license. During the period, the DCC also issued license to 47,850 rickshaw pullers.
Jamir Uddin, a rickshaw puller, said it is an impossible task to obtain the licenses of rickshaws and the rickshaw pullers in the corporation area.
“Many rickshaw pullers and the rickshaw owners have illegally copied the blue books, license plate of DCC, and pay Tk 500 every month as fine to some unscrupulous officials of the DCC to avoid any kind of hazard by traffic surgeons,” the rickshaw puller said.
The DCC License Division said that since 1986 they had stopped issuing license to non-mechanised vehicles.
The Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) said that in the DCC area about two and a half lakh rickshaws are plying every day. But the major portions of them have no legal necessary documents.
Shahidul Islam, joint secretary of the ‘Committee to stop rickshaw stealing’ said at least three lakh rickshaws are plying in the city streets.
Joint secretary of Dhaka City Rickshaw Owners Alliance Muhibea Rahman said that their organization represents all the legal rickshaws and rickshaw pullers.
“About 20 lakh rickshaw pullers are driving these rickshaws by rotation and this number may vary from time to time,” he said.
The DCC Wheel Tax Division said it has so far issued documents to 7914 Rickshaw vans.
Dhaka District Thala Gari, Tali and Van Gari Owners Association president Abdur Rahman said that the number of their association is 499 and around 20,000 men ply those vehicles in the city.
The DCC is being deprived of huge revenues by stopping the issuance licenses of the non-mechanised vehicles since 1986. The corporation can increase its revenue by reopening the license, said an official of the DCC.
Aminul Islam, a resident of Malibagh said the government should identify the real number of Rickshaws as it is increasing traffic jam in the city.
