Desperate movement of small vehicles on highways

With Eid-ul-Azha festival drawing nearer, desperate movement of different small vehicles, including three-wheelers, is causing frequent accidents and casualties on roads and highways across the country.

A large number of three-wheelers, including CNG-run auto-rickshaws, easy-bikes and some locally-made engine vehicles, are now running on different busy roads and highways illegally.

These risky vehicles are causing frequent accidents on roads and highways, claiming lives of many people.

Transport workers have alleged that various types of unauthorised small vehicles, including CNG-run auto-rickshaw, human-hauler, three-wheelerMahindra, three-wheeler easy-bike, locally-made Nosimon, Karimon and vatvoti, are still plying on different busy highways across the country.

Killing and injuring of passengers and passersby on roads and highways are regular phenomena.

The High Court ordered imposing a ban on these vehicles on highways across the country in January 2017.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on several occasions expressed helplessness over curbing such vehicles.

In the wake of frequent road accidents, the highway police have conducted a special operation at Daudkandi in Cumilla as three-wheelers are freely plying on Dhaka-Chattogram highway in defiance of the government ban. During the operation, the police seized more than half a hundred three-wheelers.

Meanwhile, Highway Police chief Md Shahabuddin Khan said this year's Eid is a little different. “During this Eid, cattle-carrying trucks move more. There are markets near and adjacent to the highways. We have identified these challenges and know the way to solve them.     We have also identified the way to solve them,” he said.

The local administration, district administration along with the lessees will ensure a comfortable Eid trip this time as well. “We are determined and committed. That's how we are in the field and working,” he said.

He said this while visiting Dhaka-Tangail-Bangabandhu Bridge highway on Thursday afternoon. He was responding to questions from journalists.

Shahabuddin Khan said, “We do not only work with unfit and expired vehicles before Eid. We work with these vehicles constantly.”

Unfit and expired vehicles are constantly being dumped. Last May, 25,000 cases were filed against such vehicles.

“Many vehicles were also seized. Due to these arrangements, last Eid was the most comfortable Eid trip ever. We hope that we will also be able to give the gift of traffic jam-free safe Eid. Laws are being strictly enforced against various offenses, including unfit, unregistered and unlicensed vehicles,” he said.

“On the occasion of Eid, the government, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the police headquarters and we, the highway police, take joint initiatives. We think it is our important responsibility to ensure safe highways during Eid so that people can reach homes safely.”

Highway Police Gazipur Region Superintendent of Police Md Mostafizur Rahman, Superintendent of Police of Tangail Sarkar Mohammad Kaiser, Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) Md Sharafuddin, Kalihati Police Station OC Molla Azizur Rahman, Bangabandhu Setu Purba Police Station OC Md Safiqul Islam, Elenga Highway Police Outpost In-charge Zahid Hasan and Traffic Inspector Rafiqul Islam, among others, were present at that time.