Rickshaw issue
I am indeed indebted to Mr Chisti of Lalmatia for his letter in DS 18 Nov on the subject supporting rickshaws. Before going in to details I would draw his attention to the letter “VIP roads” by Ameer Sobhan, a student of NSU in the adjoining column. Ameer has raised pertinent points in defense of the rickshaw in the circumstances prevailing TODAY that will partly answer some of Mr Chisti's fears. We will talk about the freeways, new roads, subways, metros, circular rails, waterways and other lollipops WHEN THEY ARE A REALITY, not before.
First of all I want to reassure Mr Chisti that if rickshaws can be replaced on Dhaka's road, I would be the happiest person. But - and this is a big BUT - only when there is a viable substitute. It raises my ire when apparently educated and sensible people do not believe the evidence of their own eyes by playing the rickshaw blame game of the illusion of private cars being synonymous with “progress”. All one has to do is stand on any rickshaw-free road intersection in Dhaka and see what causes the perpetual jams. I would draw Mr Chisti's attention to one of my previous letters “Facts and Figures” which should prove an eye-opener for him. Briefly Dhaka's roads (7%) are incapable of accommodating the 4-4.5 lakh Gas Guzzling Monstrosities (100-150 GGMs added every day) occupying 90% of road space while carrying a scant 1-2% people. The 4 lakh rickshaws carry 50% of Dhakabashis add Tk 10-15 crores to GDP EVERY DAY AND PROVIDE LIVELIHOOD TO OVER 20 LAKH rickshaw-related people.
I would be a fool to even suggest that one take a rickshaw ride from Azimpur to Uttara or Uttara-Motijheel. Prof Rabbani did not do so either, but for the many every day short trips, are they not ideal? All Prof Rabbani had suggested was that we should have a few car-free days to see the difference. I thank Mr Chisti for being a regular reader of my letters on traffic control (this one is 55th) as he has referred to an old Ramadan letter, advising me to get used to and adapt 'when a facility ( rickshaws) is not available'. Elaborating the circumstances, I reiterate that the facility WAS available then, but at 4.30 on an enervating September afternoon, I, (76 years old and fasting) was summarily ejected from my rickshaw near Square HO by a traffic cop busy clearing Mohakhali Road for a few private cars, most of which were empty/half empty. Was this not a denial of my constitutional rights? I told the cop that if I could not ride a rickshaw I would walk and did so in the MIDDLE of the road. A dozen other home-goers joined me and there was chaos and confusion while cars piled up behind. Next day, more than 50 men, women and children including musallis after Asr prayers joined our march right up to Gulshan 1 circle in protest. The gridlock that day was long and noisy, but we paid no heed nor did we budge from the middle. Fearing that it would take just one impatient driver to cause an undesirable incident, I gave up, but we had made our point.
Mr Chisti should not be surprised if I say that far more people avail of rickshaws to go for medical treatment than ambulances and private cars and if someone is stuck in an ambulance behind a rickshaw on a narrow lane, you can be sure that it is the rickshaw that is being obstructed by the parked cars all over the roads and foot-paths. Does this come into their reckoning? Please Mr Chisti and Mr Rahat, do reconsider your views as per the circumstances prevailing in Dhaka TODAY, not when all of us will have the lollipops promised to us for the last umpteen decades.
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