Editorial
Regulate number of rickshaws
Traffic jam needs some easing
ONLY a quarter of the rickshaw-pullers in the city have the licence issued by the City Corporation, which means that nearly three lakh rickshaws are operating illegally. With the limited road network in the metropolis such a huge number of unauthorised rickshaws are obviously a major contributor to traffic chaos in the city.
While rickshaws are no longer allowed to move on certain roads in the metropolis, the complete phasing out of the slow moving, manually-pulled vehicle still appears to be a distant goal as it will have a direct bearing on the livelihood of multitudes of poor. We need to have a perspective plan to reduce the number of rickshaws gradually and let's begin with the unlicensed rickshaws first. Obviously, the DCC cannot evade its responsibility in this respect and they are the one who should now roll back the problem.
A DCC official has admitted that they have no funds for imparting training to the pullers, which of course is a serious lapse. But the DCC should have been able to improve its performance in areas where sincerity and honesty can amply compensate for lack of funds. For example, fake licenses are reportedly being issued by some unscrupulous elements. It is not clear why the DCC is not making any attempt to stop such forgery.
The rickshaw is an outdated or inhuman mode of transport that we may have to live with for some more time, as we cannot provide alternative employment to the pullers at a time.
Employment opportunities have to be created in rural areas to stop the steady town-ward swirl of river erosion victims and other pauperized sections of people. Without question, rickshaws cannot have a place in a modern scheme of urban living. The government can think in terms of training the unskilled labour force under a special project to enhance their job worthiness in both local and international job markets.
Finally, the traffic authorities have to determine the number of rickshaws that can be allowed to operate in the city before going for any action against the unlicensed rickshaws.
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