Rickshaw pullers postpone protest

The Jatiya Rickshaw-Van Shramik League yesterday suspended their road block movement, following assurances of separate lanes on highways for rickshaws and a relax on the ban on the three-wheelers in three major city roads.

“We will not take to the streets before taking any further decision,” Insur Ali, general secretary of the association, said at a press conference held at Bangabandhu Avenue.

Thousands of rickshaw-pullers had blockaded roads on Pragati Sarani, Badda, Rampura, Malibagh-Chowdhurypara, Maniknagar, Manda and Kamalapur TT Para, for two consecutive days demanding the city authorities reverse the ban.

Insur said rickshaw movement had already been resumed on the roads which were made off-limit to rickshaws. 

He added that they welcomed the prime minister’s directives at a meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council on Tuesday where she asked that separate lanes be constructed for rickshaws on highways across the country.

Insur said they had also postponed their grand rally in front of Jatiya Press Club which was scheduled to be held on July 11 and they would instead hand over a memorandum to the PM on that day. 

Meanwhile, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayor Atiqul Islam yesterday said they would make the Kuril Biswaroad to Malibagh road off-limits to rickshaws in phases.

He said that only 15 kms of the 2,300kms of roads under DNCC would be made off-limits to rickshaws.

The mayor made the comment at a meeting with the rickshaw-van owners and driver samity, Dhaka Metropolitan Police and other relevant organisations.

He said they would provide QR codes to all legal rickshaws so that they can identify illegal rickshaws.

Atique also proposed a data base of legal rickshaw pullers and providing ward-based coloured vests to them.

Earlier, Insur had also said they would help tackle the menace of illegal rickshaws.

On July 3, in a bid to ease traffic congestion, a special committee led by Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon decided that three major streets -- Kuril to Sayedabad via Rampura and Khilgaon; Gabtoli to Azimpur via Asad Gate; and Science Laboratory intersection to Shahbagh intersection -- would be made off-limits to rickshaws.

The decision led to protests and blockades. Protesters halted traffic movement on Khilgaon and Rampura road by setting fire on pieces of cloths, making bamboo barricades and forming human barriers.