The advantages of rickshaws
Given the crowded conditions of Dhaka’s roads, when total trip time is considered, motorized transport has little advantage in speed over non-motorized. In addition, unlike motorized vehicles, when rickshaws are caught in traffic jams they emit no air pollution, waste no fuel, and make no noise.
Rickshaws are the most efficient way to move people or goods for short to medium distances. According to UN-ESCAP, 70% of trips in Dhaka are under 2 kilometers long. For such trips, walking, cycling, and rickshaws are very appropriate, as they waste no fuel, create no air or noise pollution, and take very little time. It is a waste to use a car for such a short distance, and the waiting time for buses makes the trip potentially take far longer than it would by rickshaw or other means.
The best transport for women, small children and the elderly is rickshaws. When rickshaws are banned, it is these groups who suffer the most. In addition, many poor people derive their employment from pedaling rickshaws. This benefits not only the pullers, but their families. One survey shows that 5 million people throughout the country are dependent on rickshaw pullers for their livelihood.
2 comments:
Why blame rickshaws only?
Asif K Shams, Banani, Dhaka
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=56472
Being a disabled person I am seriously inconvenienced by the ban on rickshaws on important roads. I am a mid-level employee so cannot afford CNGs , even if I can find one. Taxis and private cars are unthinkable. For this reason I am very pleased to see that your fearless newspaper has highlighted the acute problems caused by traffic jams on a daily basis. However, the police authorities are relentless in blaming rickshaws for the jams and even force me to walk (I use a crutch) in the heat and in the rain.
Over the last 2/3 weeks you are printing revealing pictures of gridlock on the road, when not one rickshaw can be seen. The actual cause is apparent to all (except perhaps, the authorities). There are too many private cars on Dhaka's roads that are too narrow to accommodate them all. Most of these cars are huge requiring lots of octane, cause pollution and park anywhere they like without any difficulty to obstruct traffic in all directions. Moreover, their incessant honking on hydraulic horns is turning most of Dhaka people deaf, as the police sergeant confessed in your paper recently.
In this connection, I have been following the writings of Sikander Ahmed and others who are giving many useful suggestions. He claims that if existing traffic laws are strictly followed and implemented, both motorized and non-motorized transports can ply on the roads with ease. Why isn't someone listening, instead of constantly putting the blame on those who cannot fight back.- usually the poor rickshawallas and those who use them.
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