Now, the question is whether we have reached the time to send the rickshaws to the museum, or are we forcibly trying to bring about that situation at the cost of the livelihood of millions? This grim reality cannot be denied by enforcing laws and threatening the rickshaw pullers. When the traffic system develops further, and people have enough vehicles to reach their destinations, the slow moving vehicles like rickshaws will say "good-bye" to the cities; but it seems that rickshaws are being made to say "good-bye" to the cities by force.

If one observes the office going hour and office closing hour in the city, one cannot but say that the presence of rickshaws in many parts of the city is a must. The number of people competing with each other to get on board the public vehicles shows that the number of vehicles is much less than is needed. This is about a long distance journey from one part of the city to another. Public transports usually don't take passengers for shorter distances, and the passengers cannot find even a little room for getting on board the vehicles. Then they remember the necessity of the slow moving but environment friendly vehicle.

When no CNG agrees to take you to your desired destination, even after you have been standing and waiting for hours together, it reminds you how useful the rickshaws are! You have decided to go to somewhere with your wife and children, but you cannot make suitable room, or passage, in the bus to have seats close to each other. You cannot afford to hire a CNG, and CNGs have become scarce. In this situation, a rickshaw is the only alternative.

Some luxurious buses have been introduced to ease the burden of passengers on some routes, but it is not the same on all the routes. So, suddenly banning rickshaws in these areas is not a good idea. The streets of Chennai have a considerable number of CNGs, and the fares are also close to rickshaw fares. This city has removed rickshaws as the CNGs have taken their place. Without making ample arrangements for easy movement, we cannot, and should not, remove rickshaws suddenly and emotionally.

When a road is rickshaw-free, is it fully immune to traffic jams? No. Look at Sonargaon crossing. What does it say? It does not remain jam free for two minutes at a time. The clean road in front of the chief advisor's secretariat always has traffic jam. On the other hand, Dhaka Cantonment roads have rickshaws, but in different lanes and following certain regulations. So, removing rickshaws from the roads for removing traffic jam does not always prove successful. Beijing, one of the busiest cities in the world, has bi-cycles on its roads, not one or two but hundreds and thousands. These bi-cycles ply side by side with mechanized vehicles, showing a harmonious relation. The paths for bi-cycles have been marked by road dividers. We can also follow this example until we establish a modern and sophisticated traffic system.

In social science it is said that the growing slums are responsible for social crimes, and for making the city dirty. And the slums are home to the rickshaw pullers. When village people find easy access to these slums, a stream of poor people will migrate to cities. All these are the reality, and no reality can be buried by unreal and unreasonable step. When there will be scope for money making in rural areas, the rural poor will stop migrating to cities.

To cope with the fast growing population of Dhaka and other cites we need to establish over-bridges and underpasses, as the existing roads cannot be broadened further. Money for this purpose can be collected in two ways. The first way is to use the money of the national plunderers, and the second one is through tolls from the vehicles. More buses and small vehicles should be introduced, both in the private and the government sectors. CNGs and taxies must be made available everywhere, and in ample numbers. There must be a condition for getting the license, that they should be ready to go anywhere.

The easy availability of CNGs and similar vehicles, and reasonable fares, will automatically discourage rickshaw plying in the streets. As long as we cannot ensure all this, we have to ask ourselves whether we have the right to ban rickshaw pulling. Instead, rickshaw plying should be made systematic, without completely preventing them from plying. It's a matter of human rights.

When we cannot ensure human right, can we afford to break it?

The writer works for Post Primary Basic And Continuing Education Programme in BRAC Head Office and writes on social, educational, political and international issues.