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Free ride goes on in off limits streets

Non-motorised vehicles create gridlocks as traffic officials sleep

Mukhlesur Rahman
Non-motorised vehicles continue to ply many of the city roads declared off limits to rickshaws and rickshaw vans, slowing down traffic movements and often creating severe gridlocks.
While the motorised vehicles are still having a hard time negotiating the rickshaws, vans and pushcarts on many roads that were declared closed to those earlier, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has recently declared nine intersections, including level crossings, off limits to non-motorised vehicles.
Sources at the joint commissioner's (traffic) office said the stretches of roads
that have been declared off-limits to non-motorised vehicles include Golapshah Mazar to Gabtali via police headquarters, High Court, Matsya Bhaban, Shahbagh, Katabon, New Market and Science Lab, another from Matsya Bhaban to Cantonment via Hare Road, Sheraton intersection, Sonargaon intersection and Farmgate, the Zia Udyan to Mirpur-10 road, the Kakrail intersection to Abdullahpur road via Bailey Road, Satrasta, Nabisco, Tibbat and Mohakhali, the Zero point to High Court crossing, Golapshah Mazar to Paltan intersection, Bijoy Sarani to Gano Bhaban intersections, Bangla Motor and Panthapath.
The new intersections and level crossings declared off-limits to non-motorised vehicles are Pragati Sarani level crossing, Natun Bazar intersection, Badda Link Road, Rampura Bridge, Malibagh level crossing. Khilgaon fly over.TT Para intersection, Maniknagar level crossing and Janapath intersection in Sayedabad.
During a visit to different intersections and level crossings on Pragati Sarani to Janapath intersection at Sayedabad, this correspondent found that rickshaws and rickshaw vans were running on the roads declared off-limits to non-motorised vehicles.
TYaffic Sergeant Mofazzal Hossain of
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Sabujbag zone of DMP was seen intercepting microbuses and buses near Malibagh level crossing to check necessary documents of the vehicles while non-motorised vehicles were passing by.
When asked, he said his team does not bar rickshaws and vans from plying the road as those are not creating any problem at off-peak hours around 12:00 noon. However, they prevent rickshaws from plying the road during peak hours, he added.
Road users observe that accidents occur in many cases on city streets as the slow moving rickshaws and rickshaw vans often fail to notice the vehicles coming from behind. The non-motorised vehicles often turn without noticing the vehicles rushing from behind and cause accidents, they added.
Joint Commissioner (traffic) Manjur Kader Khan said, "With the inadequate manpower wc can hardly cope with the traffic problems. The government takes decision to make a road off-limits to non-motorised vehicles and we only enforce the decision and our enforcement reflects the government's desire."
He added that rickshaw pullers cater for the transport need of the city dwellers substantially and the government has to think about them also.
DMP Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haque said around five lakh rickshaws ply the city roads involving around 10 lakh rickshawpullers.
"We will take steps against the illegal rickshaws first and then in phases wc will remove the rest from the busy roads and intersections," he added.