Easy bikes plaguing Khulna city

Over 13,000 unauthorised battery-run auto-rickshaws are plying Khulna city streets and the number of the vehicle, popularly known as easy bike, is increasing day by day causing a public nuisance.

According to Khulna City Corporation sources, KCC gave licences to 6,927 easy bikes since 2010.

The traffic department of Khulna Metropolitan Police, however, said over 20,000 such vehicles were operating.

At least six associations of the vehicle owners deal with the operation in and outside the city where more than 25,000 easy bikes are running, said the owners. They, however, do not know the exact figure. Sirajul Islam Manik, president of Khulna Easy Bike Owners Association, said many operated the vehicles only for private purposes for which they were not responsible. The traffic sources said five percent of the easy bikes belong to private owners.

Assistant Police Commissioner (Traffic) of KMP Tareq Al Mehedi said many including small traders, university students and homemakers were operating easy bikes for earning money.

Some of them drive the vehicles themselves while some hire drivers, he said. Most drivers are not trained and break traffic rules, causing accidents and hampering the vehicular movement.

Due to the  bikes, pedestrians face difficulties to cross city intersections including Satrasta, Picture Palace, Dak Bangla, Shibbari, Moylapota, Gollamari, BL college, Sonadanga bus terminal, PTI, Royal, Shantidham, Nirala, Tutpara Kabor Khana, and Notun Rasta. The same situation is seen at Phul Market, Old Jessore Road, Clay Road, KD Gosh Road, Cemetery Road, Rupsha Ghat, Phulbari Gate and Boikali.

Srabonti Sen, a seventh-grader of Government Coronation Girls School, recently tried in vain more than six times to cross PTI intersection around 11:00am. Finally, she did it with the help of a traffic policeman.

Md Jakir Hossain, who drives easy bike generally from Gallamari to Rupsha Ferry Ghat, has been hospitalised for one month after his vehicle and another auto-rickshaw collided at Moylapota recently. Five passengers were injured.

Hasan Mahmud, a trader at KCC Super Market, said the easy bike drivers had no minimum knowledge about traffic rules.

With anger Parvez Sikder, a student of ICMAB near Rupsha Bridge, said, “The easy bike has turned into a trouble bike.”

Sheikh Abdul Kayyum, a freedom fighter and chairperson of Khulna Citizens Forum working for civic rights, said the drivers should at least be given immediate training.

Acknowledging the facts, KCC Mayor (in-charge) Md Anisur Rahman told this correspondent that they had requested the KMP commissioner several times to take necessary actions against those unauthorised vehicles.

Some police officials, seeking anonymity, said they sometimes faced difficulties to take actions as some influential political leaders from the ruling Awami League were behind this.

Denying the allegation, city AL president Saiful Islam said some people impersonating the party men were doing so.