"I have recently learned about the problems with the meters installed in the Mishuks. If the meters are not functioning, then I won't have any choice but to discontinue the Mishuks," said Huda during an interview with Star City.

There are now about 3,000 Mishuks plying on the city streets which is one third of the number of CNG-run three wheelers.

The Communications Minister revealed that initially he didn't want the number of CNG three-wheelers to exceed 10,000 as that could cause traffic congestion. But if Mishuks are banned, then they have to be replaced with CNGs.

"The CNG three-wheelers will eventually replace the Mishuks. That means that the city will have some 13,000 CNG three wheelers and that number won't be increased," said Huda.

Huda said that he would like to see a fleet of double-decker busses dominating the city's transport system rather than the present monopoly enjoyed by mini-busses and small human-haulers.

"We are planning to import more double-deckers for Dhaka," informed Huda.

Regarding the controversial widening and narrowing of medians on some roads and streets, Huda said that it was being done for the greater interest of the city dwellers and commuters.

"The streets where the medians are being widened would be made off-limit to rickshaws in phases. When rickshaws are gone, the traffic situation will definitely improve.

'Adjustments are being made also to the medians that were unnecessarily wide. The benefits would be visible once the entire work under the Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) is completed," said Huda.

Recently, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia expressed her displeasure at dismantling of medians on the Airport Road and ordered the work to be stopped. But Huda said that in order to follow the DUTP guidelines, there were no other alternatives other than breaking the medians.

"It was, in fact, a long-term plan of the DUTP to widen the Airport Road. We plan to turn this road into a four-lane speedway soon. We will have to dismantle that same median while making this road a four-lane one," explained Huda

"Because of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) meeting scheduled to start on October 4, we have temporarily decorated the area where the median was dismantled, with flowers and plants so that it does not appear odd to the foreign visitors," the minister added.