Re-designing rickshaw
Photo: www.heybrian.com
May I echo Sikander Ahmed's request for the need of a newly-designed rickshaw to be on the streets? Like millions, I love the rickshaw - not only for its convenience and cheapness but the encouragement of a means of earning a living in a way that does not pollute the environment and responds to so many needs. Being able to see the sky overhead - oh, everything about it! However, when I first got on a rickshaw, I looked around for the safety belt! The narrow sloping seat guarantees that, in the event of an accident, the passenger is thrown out. I am sure I am not the only person in this dear country who has ended up in hospital with a doctor picking bits of road out of the palms of my hands. But, mercifully, that was in the middle of the countryside and not Dhaka or I might not have survived to tell the tale. I also note the stress and strain on the back and limbs of the rickshaw-pullers and hear that the medical profession has confirmed it is neither safe nor kind to ask anyone to ride it. However, I hear that the rickshaw does not need to be re-designed because a first-class job was done on that many years ago by a devoted friend of Bangladesh and a first-class engineer. The only problem is that the adapted design was never officially accepted or put into production. Surely it only needs some heave-ho from some dedicated Bangladeshis and, instead of being lethal, it can become a machine that is truly Bangladeshi, safe and kind to both customer and puller - and reduce the road accident death rate at the same time. Is there anyone out there to take on the challenge?
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