Rickshaws, human haulers banned on three city roads

Rickshaws and all unauthorised transports, including human haulers, have been banned on three roads in the capital from July 7 with an aim to ease traffic congestion and bring discipline in the transport sector.

The roads are – Kuril to Sayedabad via Khilgaon and Rampura, Gabtoli to Azimpur through Mirpur Road, and Science Lab to Shahbagh.

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon came up with the announcement at a media briefing after the first meeting of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority held at the Nagar Bhaban on Wednesday.

The mayor also said illegal makeshift shops on footpaths and other illegal establishments along these roads will be evicted.

The two city corporations will begin a week-long drive on these three roads.

Officials of the DSCC and the Traffic Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) will work together to prevent operations of rickshaws and other unauthorised vehicles and evict the grabbers, the mayor said.

A committee of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority will hold another meeting after a week of surveillance to evaluate the outcome of the drive, he said.

The committee, led by Mayor Sayeed Khokon, was formed on June 19 to identify and remove unauthorised rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and battery-run autorickshaws from the streets and free the footpaths from grabbers.

BRTA Chairman Md Mashiur Rahman, BRTC Chairman Farid Ahmed Bhuiyan, DMP’s Additional Commissioner (Traffic-South) Mofiz Uddin Ahmed also attended the meeting.