Unlicensed rickshaws rampant in city

A large number of unlicensed additional rickshaws that rolled onto the streets of capital Dhaka, the maddening rush of home bound passengers and a frenzy of shopping with just three days ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr compounded the nagging traffic congestions at some key points in the city.
Traffic police and Dhaka City Corporation sources said that more than one lakh rickshaws had entered the capital illegally for extra income ahead of the Eid. Besides, rickshaws were seen plying on many city roads which were restricted to manually run vehicles.
On Monday, traffic congestion from Gulistan to Sadarghat launch terminal caused immense suffering to people as the jams forced many of them to go the terminal on foot carrying their luggage.
The sale of advance tickets for travelling by launches began on Monday.
The traffic police were facing difficulties to tackle the situation and many of them were apparently helpless. Everyday major city roads including Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Minto Road, Tajuddin Ahmed Sarani, Shaheed Sangbadik Selina Parveen Road, DIT Road, Bailey Road and Mirpur Road witness severe traffic jam throughout the day.
The other parts of the capital also experienced similar traffic jam.
The city people at different points also suffered a lot as the helpers of city service local buses that ply on Jatrabari to Gabtali or Jatrabari to Mohakhali routes did not allow short distance passengers on their buses.
Traffic police and community police have been deployed at major shopping centres but they can hardly tackle the situation.
Sufferings of the people also mounted as the rickshaw-pullers, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and taxicabs charge extremely high fare capitalising the huge rush. The traffic congestion was also one of the reasons for charging high fare.
Abbas Ali, at Motijheel, said it took him two-hours-and-a-half to reach Motijheel from Mirpur because of the traffic jam caused by shoppers at different shopping malls and markets including Shewrapara, Kawran Bazar roundabout, Farmgate, Gulistan and Paltan. The trip usually takes about an hour.
Vehicles were getting struck not only on main thoroughfares in front of major shopping centres, but also on their adjacent areas, said Aminun Nahar, a shopper who reached New Market from Uttara in three hours.
The law enforcing agencies cannot manage the traffic as private cars and other vehicles are parked on roadside in front of the major shopping centres in the city, witnesses said.
The traffic (south) deputy commissioner, Selim Jahangir, admitted that inflow of illegal additional rickshaws into the city caused traffic congestion to a large extent.
He also stressed the need for increasing the number of mobile courts to end the traffic congestion the city people are suffering every day.
‘As Eid is approaching nearer, we are giving a blind eye to the illegal rickshaws that entered the city, just on humanitarian ground. We will launch a drive against them after Eid,’ he observed.

Courtesy of NewAge