The government is hell-bent on imposing its ban on autorickshaws on highways with owners and workers continuing demonstrations in different parts of the country.
The demonstrations caused huge sufferings to people on the highways across the country with many requesting the government to settle the issue as early as possible.
“We will not backtrack from our decision but the problem will be solved within a short time,” said Road Transport Secretary MAN Siddique yesterday.
Autorickshaw owners and workers have already withdrawn their demonstrations in several districts, he said.
“We have instructed all deputy commissioners and members of law enforcement agencies to let the owners and workers know that the ban will be imposed on only a 3,570-km stretch out of a total 2,50000 kilometers on the national highway.
Many of them realised it and have already agreed with the logic of the government. But some quarters are misguiding them, he said.
A source in the BRTA said the number of government approved CNG-run autorickshaws is 2,00000. Of them, 70, 000 ply the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.
Many of the auto rickshaw drivers said it would be tough for them to comply with the decision of the government.
Dhaka Zila Autorickshaw Owner-Driver Samity Secretary Jakir Hossain said: “When the BRTA issues a route permit it never mentions that autorickshaws are not allowed to ply the highway.”
Jakir vowed to continue their demonstration as, to him, they had no alternative but to force the government to meet their demand.
BRTA Chairman Najrul Islam said when the CNG-run autorickshaw owners get their route permit renewed this time it would be clearly mentioned that they would not be allowed to ply their three-wheelers on the highway.
Meanwhile, the owners and drivers in Chittagong yesterday formed a human chain near the Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Bhatiari under the district’s Sitakunda upazila protesting the government ban on three-wheelers on highways.
The protesters said about one million people across the country would be rendered jobless if the ban is imposed.
Another group of demonstrators near the Potiya Highway Police Outpost in Potiya upazila on Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar highway demanded immediate withdrawal of the ban.
Several thousand three wheeler owners, drivers and workers joined the protest programme, much to the sufferings of the local commuters.
The demonstrators would also stage protest rally at the Chittagong Central Shahid Minar and submit a memorandum to the Roads and Bridge Minister through the deputy commissioner of Chittagong district on August 9.
The owners and drivers of autorickshaws called a dawn-to-dusk shutdown in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban, Khagrachhari, Lakshmipur, Noakhali and Feni districts on August 13 protesting the government decision.
They will also hold a grand rally at the port city’s Laldighi Ground the same afternoon.
On July 27, the government declared a ban on the movement of the light vehicles like three-wheelers and non-motorized vehicles on highways across the country with effect from August.
