Ban on rickshaw removed for now

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has removed ban on rickshaw plying on Pragati Sarani in the face of massive protests of the pullers.

DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam made the announcement in a meeting with leaders of rickshaw-pullers and owners associations at his office on Wednesday. 

"Illegal rickshaws will be removed from the routes gradually," the mayor said. "Some 26,800 rickshaws are plying with proper registration in the city while there are more 10 lakhs rickshaws without papers."

He also added that QR code will be made available with the rickshaws with registration and different types of dress code will be fixed for the pullers set to ease the traffic congestion. 

On last three days, thousands of rickshaw-pullers and owners took to streets and started demo at different points from Jamuna Future Park to Sayedabad in protest against a decision to impose ban on plying of rickshaws on three major thoroughfares from July 7.

The three roads are Kuril-Sayedabad road via Rampura and Khilgaon, Gabtoli to Azimpur via Asad Gate and Science Laboratory intersection to Shahbagh intersection.

Protesting rickshaw-pullers blocked several points on important roads in Dhaka causing huge tailbacks on both sides of roads. Office-goers and students of different schools and colleges suffered immensely, alongside other commuters, on those days as they got stuck in the gridlock.