Fake rickshaw permits fetch Tk50cr annually

Three decades after Dhaka City authorities stopped issuing permits, hundreds of rickshaws continue to hit the streets every day with counterfeit permits almost as good as the originals. These official-looking metal sheets, complete with numbers and monograms, fend off traffic police as well as thieves and are worth an estimated Tk50 crore per year in Dhaka alone. The Dhaka Tribune found that only one in every six rickshaws in Dhaka has a genuine permit issued by the city corporation. Official figures show that there are 80,000 permits as opposed to the estimated over 500,000 rickshaws plying the capital's streets. Dhaka, also known as the city of rickshaws, has about 50 self-styled outfits, often run by influential ruling party men, issuing fake permits at a monthly fee of Tk50-60 for each rickshaw. Customary practice obligates two kinds of permits that the pullers classify as “one for the police and one for the thieves.” Of the permits, nailed to the back of the rickshaws, one is issued by an association of the owners and the other by a labour association. Rickshaw pullers say the permit issued by the owners' association is always returned to the puller or the owner with a phone call and a minimal “service fee.” The other apparently keeps police at bay. “In fact, these permits keep thieves away,” said Haider Ali, a rickshaw puller. The 50 odd outfits include Rickshaw Van Sramik League, Dhaka City Muktijoddha Rickshaw Van Malik Kalyan Society, Bangladesh Muktijoddha Somonnoy Parishad, Muktijoddha Punorbashan Kalyan Bohumukhi Somobay Somity Ltd, Muktijoddha Paribahan Kalyan Parishad, Bangladesh Muktijoddha Forum, Dhaka Mohanagar Rickshaw Sramik League, Mahanagar Rickshaw Malik League, Muktijoddha Sommonoy Parishad, and Bangladesh Muktijoddha Rickshaw Unnayan Parishad. The owners’ associations include the likes of Dhaka Rickshaw and Van Owners’ Federation, Bangladesh Rckshaw Malik Federation and Bangladesh Rickshaw and Van Malik Federation. Abdus Subhan, a rickshaw labour leader, said his organisation did not issue permits. “We issue identity cards so that we may help them [pullers] if they face problems.” Asked whether it is legal, Subhan said: “If cooperatives are legal, then so are we. Our platform is like a cooperative that safeguards the interests of rickshaw owners and pullers.” Rickshaw garage owners say a valid permit sells for Tk15,000 currently. Moreover, they say, one permit is often used by several rickshaws simultaneously as there is no way to check and verify. Insur Ali, general secretary of Rickshaw Van Sramik League, housed at 23 Bangabandhu Avenue above the Awami League central office, said his outfit collected money from only 43,000 rickshaws. In between his puffs off a Benson & Hedges, the rickshaw pullers’ leader boasted of having visited many countries including those in Europe, and explained that these 43,000 people were in fact the names his outfit had submitted in 2001 when the government took an initiative to issue new licences. “We want to give revenue to the government. We want licences and want to pay taxes. We regularly do our financial audit. So everything is crystal clear.” Asked whether his issuing permits is legal, he said: “Only we are the legal entity. The rest are illegal. We are legal because we filed a case against the government demanding an explanation as to why licences would not be issued to 43,000 rickshaws that the government promised.” The last time Dhaka City issued rickshaw permits was in 1986 when there were 79,754 rickshaws and 8,000 cycle vans. Although there was a probability of officially allowing another 35,000 rickshaws and 8,000 cycle vans, the process fell through and the initiative never bore fruit.