Battery-run autorickshawPhoto: STAR

Battery-run autorickshaws are moving along the city roads without approval of the traffic department violating the traffic rules.
They have no number plates as these auto-rickshaws are not registered with the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).
It is very difficult for both the passers-by as well as the law enforcement agencies to identify them when these autorickshaws occur any accident.
The illegal vehicles are plying the city roads managing the on-duty traffic sergeants, sources said. “We have to pay Tk 100 per vehicle everyday to the linemen who permit the vehicles to move on the roads,” said Habib, a driver, adding that the linemen collect money for the traffic police.
About 500 vehicles are plying the city roads, said the sources. The city-dwellers were enthusiastic about these nature-friendly vehicles at first. But, to their utter dismay they found that these vehicles charge higher fare which is not affordable by the middle and lower income people.
Pallab Chowdhury, a schoolteacher, said the drivers charge fare three to four times higher than a tempo. A passenger has to pay Tk 3 for the first one kilometre in a tempo whereas he has to pay Tk 10 for the same in a battery-run autorickshaw, he added.
The drivers said the passengers face higher fare as they are to pay police. “If we would have route permit and would not have to pay the police, the charge for the passengers could be reduced to half of the present fare,” said Dider, another driver.
Dider said the drivers are to pay auto-rickshaw owners Tk 500 a day and Tk 1.50 the garage for recharging battery everyday. As the drivers have to pay Tk 750 a day from their income so they charge higher fare from the passengers, Dider added.
Moreover they pay tolls to the local hoodlums to avoid repression, said Belal Hossain, another driver.
Sources said most of the drivers do not have any licence or any sort of institutional training. Significant number of adolescents are also seen driving these vehicles. Commuters alleged that police do not check the driving licence from them.
SK Bishwas, BRTA deputy director in Chittagong, said it is very difficult to fix a yardstick for issuing licence to these autorickshaws as they do not have any engine and chassis number.
"We have written to the ministry for approval of issuing licence for these auto-rickshaws to maintain vehicular movements in the thoroughfares and the file in this regard is now waiting for ministry's approval," Bishwas said, adding that battery-run autorickshaws are not cent percent environment-friendly.
These auto-rickshaws discharge acids and consume huge electricity everyday for recharging, he said.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Mohammad Shahidullah said they have decided not to allow any battery-run autorickshaw in the city areas as these are not authorised by the BRTA.
"We have already started drive against these vehicles in the city," he said.
It is not possible to deploy sergeants in all thoroughfares to stop these unauthorised vehicles for shortage of traffic sergeants, he said.
When asked how do the vehicles move on the roads in presence of traffic police, he avoided the question saying, "I do not want to make any comment as I know nothing about it."
Roksana Talukder, a commuter, said they do not want the vehicles to be withdrawn from the roads rather they want the authorities concerned to bring them under a system so that the commuters can ride these vehicles at a cheaper rate.