Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) at a meeting on December 3 had decided to withdraw rickshaws on roads stretching from Russell Square to Azimpur via New Market and Science Laboratory crossing to the National Press Club through Shahbagh intersection from the first day of 2004.

However, Dhaka mayor Sadeq Hossain Khoka at a recent meeting withheld the plan saying the step might affect the common people if they aren't properly made aware of the decision in advance. The mayor also reportedly instructed the DTCB not to make those roads off-limit until the last week of February.

In June last year, the World Bank (WB) suggested the DTCB to free two roads of NMTs to ease the city's perennial traffic jam under its Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP). It was then decided that the roads running from Russel Square to Azimpur and from Science Laboratory Crossing to National Press Club would be closed to NMTs from November 1 and December 1 in phases.

The DUTP plan to make six more routes NMT free by 2005. The stretch from Mirpur circle 10 intersection to Farmgate via Rokeya Sarani, Baridhara to Mouchak via Pragrati Sarani, Bangla Motor to Mouchak via New Eskaton and Technical crossing (Mirpur Road) to Mirpur 2 intersection are expected to be banned to non-mechanised transports by the end of 2004.

The Azimpur to Syedabad route via Tikatuli and Purana Paltan to Sadarghat via North South Road will be made NMT free before 2006.

The DTCB on December 3 reached a three-month agreement with the Bangladesh Transport Forum (BTF), an NGO, for carrying out a 'public awareness campaign' through distribution of leaflets and dialogues with commuters, drivers of the public transports and the rickshaw-pullers. The campaign is being carried out at a cost of about Tk 58 lakh.

But it has been alleged that the BTF is not conducting the campaign properly, as the public is apparently not aware of it.

"We are also not satisfied with the BTF's activities since most people do not know about the campaign. Instead of informing various organisations and important individuals, they should actually try and reach out to the common people especially the ones who regularly commute on rickshaws," said DTCB's additional executive Mohammad Mottakim.

Chairman of the BTF A K M Kamaluddin Chowdhury on the other hand refuted the complaints claiming that they have already held two meetings with people from different quarters about the NMT ban.

"Now we are carrying out a survey on Dhanmondi Road No-2 and we will distribute 10,000 leaflets soon. If we are permitted then we'll start using posters for our campaign," Chowdhury said.

Rickshaw-pullers and rickshaw owners' associations have been protesting the decision to ban NMTs from city roads without arranging alternative means of livelihood for them. These organisations have called a dawn to dusk rickshaw strike on January 11.

"We have tried to meet the communications minister and the mayor but failed. We are now very frustrated and are determined to resist any move by the government to ban rickshaws from the streets," said president of Rickshaw-Van Labours Union Ali Akbar.

Roughly six lakh illegal rickshaws are believed to be plying the streets of the capital while Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) estimates show only 87,000 registered rickshaws. These three wheelers are considered one of the chief reasons behind Dhaka's notorious traffic congestion.