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Dhaka Day by Day

Rickshaws and Road Safety

by Lavina Ambreen Ahmed
If (here Is one thing that can easily compete rlhe city's eve^-lncreasing population, it Is rickshaws. The number of these vehicles seem to multiply by geometric progression. Innumerable rickshaws can be seen plying down fhe streets of Dhaka. everyday from dawn till midnight. These vulnerable but adventurous objects roam freely in almost all the city roads and highways causing serious traffic Jams and are often responsible for street accidents.
Millions using them as a necessary mode of lrans|H>rt know that these three-wheelers with
antries. For Instance, a lady corffldes. "1 was kept waiting for live minptes while the rick-shawalla went to talk to his "deshI bhaC'lvillage brother). When 1 told him to get' back, he Just said, "Do not worry Apa, I will take you to your destination in a double-quick tjme." While there are times too when your rickshaw goes at such a pace that you feel like you are actually riding a racing car. Therejs no use telling the rickshawpuller to slow down, as that might strangely enough only Incite him to go faster. Then, these are those moments.
their attractive and colourful hoods, and flashy pictures of the local filmstars at the back, can be Just as dangerous as the monstrous trucks.
If you have to travel by a rickshaw to go to your work place .everyday, you are bound to know the feeling. For, the Journey by a rickshaw is far from a pleasant experience. You will always have to be on your guard, never knowing whether or not your vehicle will get hit you from the back or the sides, or worse, whether you will be thrown off your seat. At times, the rickshaw-pullers show an absolute disregard ■for the traffic rules, such as. turning abruptly On the wrong side of the road. Also, in order to overtake all the .other transports, they speed recklessly through the crowded streets, their vehicles often getting entangled with others in the process. Just as you are about to relax and enjoy the view, your rickshaw barely manages to avoid, say. a life-threatening truck. The deceptive words, “mayer doa" (mother's blessings) boldly glazing at you from its bumper, somehow intensifies your fear, rather than offering any comfort. The Dhakaites are surely brave. Think of how they face life's many chai lenges with an apparent casual indifference: one of them being hurrying to reach a point by the rickshaw. The city dwellers leave home in uncertainty and thank their lucky stars If they can return back safely.
To make things worse, you have to listen to the "rickshawalla lingo”. Any seasoned Dhakatte is acquainted with terms like "agey baro" (move forward), 'tan de" (pull the vehicle) etc along with a series of expletives, which they shout out at the top of their lungs. Often one |s compelled to be a spectator of the heated polemics between two fellow pedal-pushers. Not that they only hurl abuses at one another, they also stop to chat and exchange pleas-
when the chain ol your rjckshaw invariably has to fall off at the most inconvenient time.
If you are a female passenger, you have to suffer more than your male counterpart. .Yet should you complain? Is it not wonderful that the Dhaka streets are filled with those concerned young men. who seldom hesitate to warn you about, say. your dupatta getting caught in the rickshaw spokes? The ladies wonder, could they possibly get a "kick" out of embarrassing the poor victims in public ? One of these days, they ought to give them a taste of their own medicine. Sometimes, the rlskshawpuller pours out -all his miseries on to the passenger. Just as the brakes hit the desired location, he sometimes puts on a pathetic face, and asks for a saree . or money to buy one. So that his poor and aging mother can offer her prayers. A gullible, kind-hearled individual. probably will npt think twice ^elore obliging him. Only to discover too I,ne ’that he/she was deceived.
People from abroad ate often spotted clicking away their cameras, capturfrig the rush-hour traffic from. say. an overbridge. On the other hand, the sight is very intimidating tops. Otre can hardly cross any road especially near the market places or educational institutions without bumping into them. The relentless bell ringings and calls kot Jaben?' (where will you gb ?) are enough to drive one berserk.
Rickshaws hqve been a part of our lives as long as any Bangladeshi would care to remember. and If is very unlikely that rickshaws will disappear in the near future, in Dhaka. One may not ask for abolishing them, but for limiting their numbers. As a consequence, road safety could be somewhat ensured in the future.