Non-smokers, kill yourselves now What Is the point of abstaining from those lung blackening pleasure givers when vou end up inhaling the equivalent of a 20 pack as you step outdoors?

While we are busy complaining about rickshaws in Dhaka the real culprit is getting away with murder Smoke belching baby taxis are neither as harmless as babies' or anything remotely similar to taxis (or have we forgot

ten what they are ’!

The numtier of baby taxis has qu idly mushro omed in the city without much protest from any one. Rickshaws may be vilified I but compared to scooters they are an eco-friendly and safe mode of transport.

Baby taxis somehow think that they can compete with Nissan Pa jeros (sorry dudes, there is a class system of vehicles too. So

stick to what you are capable oil They change lanes every minute, hover around cars, and make unpredictable turns with all the charm of a fly you want to swat dead. They might seem sturdier and safer than rickshaws but these babies turn turtle with the slightest collision.

Perhaps the erratic behavior would have been tolerable If it were the only irritant. Unfortunately. scooters also have the audacity to blacken our beautiful city. It is no longer possible to travel down the road from Sheraton past Farmgate up to Mahakhali without smothering your nose with a hanky. Environmental standards could easily be enforced

by the authorities concerned, but this doesn't seem to figure on their list of priorities

We could learn a thing or two from India as far as baby taxis are concerned. The Busi ness Standard reported in July that the au torickshaw would probably be unable to meet the new emission norma which will come into effect in India in 1996. The paper noted. As most of the three-wheelers are powered by small two-stroke engines, they are high

emitters o: unburned hydrocar bons and carbon monoxide because of primitive design. low cost and high power to weight ratio.''

In India it is es-tinjated that these vehicles contribute 70 per cent of total unburned hydrocarbons and 46 per cent of carbon monoxide. In Dha ka, the numbers are likely to be similar judging by the condition of the scooters around town. Hydro-

carbons and carbon monoxide are ca-pable of causing cancer, reproductive problems, chronic organ toxicity, and reduction in hemoglobin. It's a good idea to keep your nostrils safely covered!

It is possible to make baby taxis more environmentally friendly, but the Indian scooter makers may find this economically non viable. Unless they can convince Indian law makers to relax the standards, baby taxis producers are likely to look to other countries. "Let's flood the Bangladesh market!" may be their next battle cry. Dhaka is so polluted, we won't even notice the difference. Well, we've got news for you buddy

It s time to get tough with the babies.