Rajshahi was once known as a city with clean, wide roads, fresh air and a peaceful environment. As an educational city, the city had become an example of a comfortable city life for the people of the country. But with time, that picture is changing. From the main roads of the city to the alleys of the neighborhoods, the presence of battery-powered rickshaws and auto-rickshaws has increased almost everywhere. Among these, there are complaints of vehicles without licenses and number plates, as well as auto-rickshaws with tampered number plates. As a result, the risk of accidents and the suffering of the common people are increasing along with traffic jams.

According to the data of Rajshahi City Corporation, there are 5,819 registered battery-powered rickshaws and 8,970 auto-rickshaws in the city. The combined number of registered vehicles of the two classes stands at 14,789. However, there are allegations that the number of auto-rickshaws and battery-powered vehicles on various roads in the city is much more than the permitted number. Despite the City Corporation’s suspension of issuing new licenses, questions have also been raised about the control system as new vehicles are constantly being added to the roads.

It can be seen on the ground that auto-rickshaws are plying everywhere on the main roads of Rajshahi city. These vehicles are plying freely everywhere, from the narrow streets of the neighborhoods to the important roads of the city. Although the City Corporation has issued licenses to control vehicles and fixed the operating hours, there is a big question about how much those rules are being followed in reality. In many cases, a large number of auto-rickshaws are plying on the main roads of the city from morning to night.

Traffic jams are seen at important intersections and roads in the city including Zero Point, Saheb Bazar, Laxmipur, Railgate, Talaimari, Court Station, etc. for a large part of the day. Many auto-rickshaws stand on the road instead of using the designated space for picking up and dropping off passengers. Some suddenly stop in the middle of the road, while others park multiple vehicles side by side to pick up passengers. Along with this, normal traffic movement is being disrupted due to competition between vehicles moving in the opposite direction and picking up passengers.

City residents have alleged that auto-rickshaws without licenses and number plates are plying the city’s main roads and alleys, largely ignoring traffic laws. As a result, some concerned believe that it is becoming difficult to identify legal vehicles and take effective action against illegal vehicles.

Another major area of ​​complaint among city dwellers regarding autorickshaws is fares. There are allegations of some drivers charging more than the stipulated fare, haggling with passengers, and refusing to transport passengers over short distances. As a result, questions are being raised about the quality of passenger service as well as traffic jams and accidents. There are demands that these issues be brought under surveillance at the same time to bring the urban transport system into order.

We spoke to local businessman Sujan Mia at Saheb Bazar, the city’s busiest road. He said he has been seeing rickshaws in Rajshahi for many years. However, their number has increased significantly in recent times. It has become difficult to move normally on many roads due to rickshaws and auto-rickshaws. He alleged that many drivers drive at high speeds and do not follow traffic laws. Although the police are seen checking the documents of motorcycles at various intersections, he believes that more regular and effective action needs to be taken against auto-rickshaws.

Abdul Kader, a resident of Rajshahi Railgate area, said, “Earlier, there were autorickshaws in the city, but their number was controlled. These vehicles played an important role in transporting people over short distances. Now, as their number has increased several times, that very facility has become a source of suffering in many cases.” According to him, autorickshaws should not be banned, but rather they should be brought under control and brought within the rules.

Not only the number of vehicles plying, but also the addition of new auto-rickshaws to the city has raised concerns. According to local information, there are at least 50 small and large factories manufacturing auto-rickshaws in Rajshahi city. It is alleged that an average of about 500 new rickshaws are being manufactured from these factories every month and added to the city’s transport fleet. However, the City Corporation says that the process of issuing new licenses has been stopped. The question is – how are these new vehicles being added to the city’s roads even after the issuance of new licenses has been stopped?

The uncontrolled movement of autorickshaws is also causing increasing waste of time. The roads in the city, which used to take a few minutes to travel from one place to another, now often take several times longer. Office-goers, students, patients, businessmen and ordinary pedestrians have to deal with its impact every day. Due to traffic jams, not only time is being wasted, but also fuel and working hours.

A pedestrian named Habib said, “A road that used to take five minutes now sometimes takes half an hour. Due to traffic jams, it is becoming difficult to keep up with office schedules. From picking up and dropping off family members to daily tasks, auto-rickshaw-related traffic jams are also affecting people,” he said.

Mehedi Hasan, an auto-rickshaw driver from the city’s Shiroil area, said, “We also want the City Corporation to take strict action. There have been many vehicles in Rajshahi now. Young children also drive cars. Those who have a car license and driving skills should be left alone, while those who do not have a car license should be seized and brought under the law.”

Swapnil Rahman, associate professor of public administration at Rajshahi University, said that the solution to Rajshahi’s traffic congestion will not be sustainable if it is seen only as a problem of autorickshaws. The total number of vehicles in the city, road capacity, route management, parking facilities, designated places for passenger pick-up and drop-off, driver training and traffic law enforcement – everything must be taken into consideration in an integrated manner. In addition, the process of illegally building autorickshaws and adding new vehicles to the city must also be brought under surveillance.

With the increasing number of vehicles everywhere, the risk of accidents is also increasing along with the traffic congestion in the city. Speeding, stopping in the middle of the road, not giving way to vehicles behind while picking up and dropping off passengers, and driving in the opposite direction are often creating risky situations. As a result, even fatal accidents occur.

According to the Rajshahi District Police and Metropolitan Police, 135 road accidents have occurred in the district and 34 in the metropolis in the last one year. A total of 160 people have died in these accidents. 169 cases have been filed during the same period. Police statistics show that almost half of the total accidents are related to motorcycles and auto-rickshaws. Besides, about 40 accidents have occurred due to trucks or dump trucks.

Meanwhile, the Traffic Division of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police says that regular operations are being conducted against autorickshaws without licenses and documents. In addition to identifying illegal autorickshaws and taking legal action, drivers are being called to be made aware. Written undertakings are also being taken from drivers not to drive in the Rajshahi City Corporation area without licenses.

Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) Md. Nur Alam Siddiqui said, efforts are being made to bring autorickshaws, whether legal or illegal, into a disciplined system. Discussions have been held with Rajshahi City Corporation on this issue. Work is being done with the concerned parties on how to reduce the number of autorickshaws and how to bring the existing vehicles within the rules. He further said, both the size of the metropolis and the vehicles have increased. Therefore, the drive will be more effective if multiple area-based dumping stations are set up. At least one permanent, safe and adequately spaced dumping station is now essential. This will make it possible to keep the seized vehicles safe and take legal action quickly. In addition, the tendency to obey the law will also increase among lawbreakers.

Urban planners say that it is not possible to permanently solve this problem by conducting campaigns alone. To restore order in the city, alternatives to autorickshaws must also be considered. At the same time, the traffic department must play a more professional and effective role in controlling these vehicles. If the number of autorickshaws increases without proper management, the pressure on the city’s road management will increase further.

Abdul Wakil, a professor at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at RUET, said that auto-rickshaws can be controlled based on their number plates or registration numbers. If arrangements are made to allow one type of auto-rickshaw to ply at certain times of the day and another type of auto-rickshaw at other times, it is possible to reduce the pressure of additional vehicles on the road at the same time. He also believes that if a time-based and route-based control system is introduced, it will be effective for city dwellers.

Rajshahi City Corporation Administrator Mahfuzur Rahman Riton said that the city corporation has also taken initiatives to control auto-rickshaws. “Auto-rickshaws and battery-powered vehicles need to be brought under control. Necessary work is underway for this and efforts will be made to implement it as soon as possible.”

Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Faizul Kabir said, “It is difficult to file a case as many of the autorickshaws do not have registration or chassis numbers. However, if there is a permanent dumping station, it will be possible to seize and keep illegal autorickshaws there. This will reduce the number of illegal autorickshaws and restore order on the roads in the city. Stating that government approval is required for the construction of the dumping station, he said, the matter will be reported to the higher authorities.”