3-wheeler ban ignored

Three-wheelers and slow-moving vehicles are still plying the national highways across the country, defying a government ban.

Their movement on highways in many south-western and northern districts has increased significantly ahead of Eid-ul-Azha due to lax enforcement of the ban, report our district correspondents.

The unauthorised three-wheelers include Nasiman, Kariman and Bhotbhoti.

Besides, horse carts, bull carts, tractors, power tillers and rickshaws are also seen plying the highways.

The number of CNG-run auto-rickshaws on the highways, however, has come down.

During a visit on Dhaka-Khulna highway on September 14 and 15, The Daily Star correspondents found that hundreds of slow-moving vehicles were plying the highway.

Many drivers said they face a lot of problems due to these vehicles.

Seeking anonymity, a driver of JR Paribahan said, "Sometimes these vehicles ply the highway in such a way that it is very difficult to control the bus."

AKM Ehsan Ullah, superintendent of police in Magura, claimed that police kept a constant vigil on Dhaka-Jessore highway to check the plying of such vehicles.

In Pabna, unauthorised vehicles are seen plying the Kashinathpur-Pabna-Dashuria highway although there are two police checkpoints at Monoharpur and Atmail.

Pabna SP Alamgir Kabir admitted that they relaxed the embargo considering public sufferings ahead of Eid.

Three-wheeler operators in Natore say they face no obstacles from law enforcers to operate on Bogra-Natore highway.

In Jhenidah, drivers claim that they pay police Tk 100 a month for each three-wheeler auto-rickshaws to travel from the town to Garaganj of Kushtia.

Refuting the allegation, Jhenidah Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Hasan Hafizur Rahman said they were keeping vigil so that the vehicles could not operate on highways.

In Rangpur, a large number of three-wheelers are seen plying Rangpur-Kurigram and Rangpur-Dinajpur highways.

"We have no alternative but to operate the vehicles for a living. If police stop us, we pay them money," claimed a battery-run easy-bike driver who makes regular trips to Medical intersection from Modern intersection on Rangpur-Dinajpur highway.

Abdul Quader Jilani, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station in Rangpur, also refuted the allegation.

Seeking anonymity, an SP told The Daily Star that politicians often lobby for releasing the vehicles after their seizure.

"They [politicians] even come down heavily on us if we do not comply with their requests," he said.

The government imposed the ban on three-wheeler auto-rickshaws, auto-tempos and all non-motorised vehicles on 22 national highways on August 1.

On September 15, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader at a press conference said the ban would be enforced strictly.

Contacted, Obaidul Quader said there was a High Court directive to take the unauthorised and slow-moving vehicles off the highways, and it was the responsibility of all concerned to implement it.

Law enforcers have been asked not to comply with the politicians' requests to release seized vehicles, he said.

"We all will have to work together to implement the ban on these vehicles on the highways to save lives," he added.