THE government’s stance on banning three-wheelers, considered technically flawed and, therefore, more prone to accidents, from national and regional highways appears confusing. There have so far been a number of government and court orders that have banned CNG-run auto-rickshaws, battery-run rickshaws and vans, ‘easy bikes’ and improvised motorised and non-motorised vehicles from plying highways, but the situation on the ground is different as thousands of such vehicles keep plying, risking lives of passengers and pedestrians. The situation appears to have worsened since the political changeover in August 2024 as owners and drivers of unauthorised three-wheelers have exploited the lax law enforcement. Law enforcers say that drivers have recently grown a tendency to create a mob whenever the police go tough against them. Moreover, the law enforcers are in a fix as the Appellate Division on November 25, 2024 issued a month’s status quo on the High Court order that ordered the government to stop the plying of unlicensed battery-run rickshaws and auto-rickshaws on Dhaka roads in the wake of violent protests by battery-run rickshaw drivers. The situation is more chaotic in outlying areas.
In August 2015, the road transport ministry banned three-wheelers and non-motorised vehicles from 22 national highways in the wake of fatal road accidents involving such vehicles. In May 2024, the then road transport and bridges minister ordered battery-run vehicles to be kept off Dhaka roads. But five days later, on May 20, the then prime minister overturned the transport minister’s order after violent clashes between the police and battery-run rickshaw drivers. Then again, the Motor Vehicle Speed Limit Guidelines 2024, adopted in that month, banned all kinds of three-wheelers on expressways, national highways and regional highways. All this suggests a worrying circle of decision and indecision on part of the authorities on banning unauthorised three-wheelers. Road safety experts say that battery-run three-wheelers are unfit because of their structural flaws that make them less stable compared with other vehicles. The involvement of unauthorised three- and four-wheelers, improvised and structurally fragile motorised and non-motorised vehicles, in road accidents has, keeping to an Accident Research Institute study, increased. At least 49 passengers of three-wheelers died in road accidents around Eid-ul-Fitr.
The authorities should come out of the indecision they appear stuck in and enforce the ban on unauthorised three-wheelers plying on roads, especially highways. The authorities should, however, also assess the impact of the ban on passengers and arrange for alternative and safe modes of transport for short distances. The law enforcers, meanwhile, should not show any leniency to unauthorised three-wheelers plying highways.