Battery-powered auto-rickshaws are plying on the Mirsarai section of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. Although three-wheeled vehicles are banned on the highway, Mirsarai seems to be an exception. In addition to increasing the number of accidents is a waste of electricity.
At first glance, battery-powered auto-rickshaws are more common in highway-adjacent markets. Accidents are happening due to walking in the opposite direction without using indicators and signals.
On Friday morning, about 10-15 battery-powered auto-rickshaws traveled from Baratakia Bazaar in both lanes of the highway within 20 minutes. Since the U-turn on the highway is two and a half kilometers away, these three wheelers use both lanes. At least two people were injured in a head-on collision between a battery-powered auto-rickshaw and a motorcycle in Baratakia area on December 2 at noon. In addition to auto-rickshaws on the highway, the movement of risky motorized three wheelers are increasing.
Many people have taken up driving auto-rickshaws as a new business as prices are low and rents are high. As a result, besides road accidents, valuable resources of the country like electricity are being wasted. Battery powered auto-rickshaws are parked on the highway at Bariahat Municipal Bazar, Mirsarai Municipal Bazar, Baratakia Bazar, Nizapur Bazar. Apart from the highways, Bariahat-Ramgarh road, Bariahat-Shantirhat road, Mithachhara-Bamansunder Darogahat road, Thakur Dighi-Jhulanpol road, Jorarganj-Aburhat road, Jorarganj-Tekerhat road, Mirsarai Municipal Bazar-Kalamir shop, Mirsar. It is learned that these vehicles ply more on Bhorerbazar Road, Baratakia-Abutorab Road, Baradarogahat-Komar Ali Road.
Sub-Inspector (SI) Sohail Sarkar, who is in charge of Zorarganj Highway Police, said, "When we see a battery-powered auto-rickshaw on the highway, we stop the vehicle and take that to the outpost." He said that supervision would be increased to stop illegal traffic on the highway.