Sylhet Correspondent :
Two hundreds of unauthorised battery-run three-wheelers locally called easy-bikes and motor-rickshaws ply the roads of the South Surma in Sylhet city and its adjoining areas thumbing nose at low. There is no designated place for parking of this mode of vehicle. Haphazard parking of the vehicle causes traffic congestion on the roads and highways. The motor-rickshaws are similar to ordinary paddle rickshaws but with a battery-run motor set under the body and are powered by four rechargeable batteries.
On the other hand, the easy-bikes look somewhat like baby-taxies but are powered by five to six rechargeable batteries.
A large number of batteries for the vehicles are being charged with power, consuming a substantial amount of electricity daily from the national grid. The recharging is mostly done in several garages that have been set up with the required facilities in the neighbourhoods where the
vehicles run.
Chairperson of Dakshin Surma foundation Mokbul Hossain Chowdhury said most of the recharging takes place at night, illegally using electricity from different electric posts. ‘Because of this illegal power consumption, we have to suffer load-shedding,’ he added.
It is learnt, easy-bikes are also plying the Krin bridge Point-Alampur-Gotatikor-Chondipul-Humaun Roshid Squre, upashahor and other areas of the city.
Although the battery-run easy-bikes have created jobs for unemployed youths, accidents are taking place very often, as almost all the drivers are unskilled, according to sources.
Those, who do not have the minimum knowledge about traffic rules and no experience about how to pull rickshaws, are driving the easy-bikes and motor-rickshaws in the city.
Deputy Director of the Sylhet circle of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority said all motor vehicles need six types of documents to be on roads but the motor rickshaws and easy-bikes have none.
‘If the law enforcers carry out their duties properly, no vehicle can run without required documents,’ he stressed. It is alleged that the drivers manage the police, leaders of labour organisations and leaders of political parties and drive the transports under the nose of the law enforcers.
The money goes to police officials, leaders of labour organistions and leaders of political parties.Police denied taking bribes from the illegal vehicle owners but admitted that some vehicles are plying the city streets.
‘I do not know anything about police involvement in taking money from the owners of these vehicles,’ said, assistant deputy commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (traffic division). ‘We do not allow these illegal vehicles on the city roads. On an average, we seize 8-10 easy-bikes and many motor-rickshaws every day,’ he added.
Two hundreds of unauthorised battery-run three-wheelers locally called easy-bikes and motor-rickshaws ply the roads of the South Surma in Sylhet city and its adjoining areas thumbing nose at low. There is no designated place for parking of this mode of vehicle. Haphazard parking of the vehicle causes traffic congestion on the roads and highways. The motor-rickshaws are similar to ordinary paddle rickshaws but with a battery-run motor set under the body and are powered by four rechargeable batteries.
On the other hand, the easy-bikes look somewhat like baby-taxies but are powered by five to six rechargeable batteries.
A large number of batteries for the vehicles are being charged with power, consuming a substantial amount of electricity daily from the national grid. The recharging is mostly done in several garages that have been set up with the required facilities in the neighbourhoods where the
vehicles run.
Chairperson of Dakshin Surma foundation Mokbul Hossain Chowdhury said most of the recharging takes place at night, illegally using electricity from different electric posts. ‘Because of this illegal power consumption, we have to suffer load-shedding,’ he added.
It is learnt, easy-bikes are also plying the Krin bridge Point-Alampur-Gotatikor-Chondipul-Humaun Roshid Squre, upashahor and other areas of the city.
Although the battery-run easy-bikes have created jobs for unemployed youths, accidents are taking place very often, as almost all the drivers are unskilled, according to sources.
Those, who do not have the minimum knowledge about traffic rules and no experience about how to pull rickshaws, are driving the easy-bikes and motor-rickshaws in the city.
Deputy Director of the Sylhet circle of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority said all motor vehicles need six types of documents to be on roads but the motor rickshaws and easy-bikes have none.
‘If the law enforcers carry out their duties properly, no vehicle can run without required documents,’ he stressed. It is alleged that the drivers manage the police, leaders of labour organisations and leaders of political parties and drive the transports under the nose of the law enforcers.
The money goes to police officials, leaders of labour organistions and leaders of political parties.Police denied taking bribes from the illegal vehicle owners but admitted that some vehicles are plying the city streets.
‘I do not know anything about police involvement in taking money from the owners of these vehicles,’ said, assistant deputy commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (traffic division). ‘We do not allow these illegal vehicles on the city roads. On an average, we seize 8-10 easy-bikes and many motor-rickshaws every day,’ he added.
