The High Court (HC) imposed a ban on plying of all battery-run three-wheelers, known as Nasimon, Karimon, Bhatboti and Easybike on highways across the country.
At the same time, the High Court has issued a ban on the import, purchase and sale of such vehicles. An HC bench headed by Justice Mamnoon Rahman passed the order on Wednesday.
Advocate Atiq Touhidul Islam appeared for the writ petition while Deputy Attorney General Amit Das Gupta represented the state.
Lawyer Atiq Touhidul Islam told reporters, “The battery-powered easy bikes are illegally charged with power connections. These easy bikes are harmful to the environment, harmful to the human body. These are moving on the road without a route permit.”
He also said that the government is not getting any revenue from this three-wheeler power sector. “For this, we have filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking directions to stop the illegal battery-powered easy bikes in use across the country.”
The writ petition was filed in the High Court on December 13 on behalf of Kazi Jasimul Islam, President of Bagh Eco Motors Limited. Seven persons including the industry secretary, road transport secretary and environment secretary were made defendants in the writ petition.
Currently, there are an estimated 40 lakh battery-run three-wheelers across the country. Authorities had earlier decided to remove batteries and other machinery from the motorised rickshaws.
A decision was made at the meeting of the task force that was formed to strengthen the proper management in the road transport sector and control road mishaps on the highways on 23 June this year.
In September last year, the movement of motorised, machine-driven, engine-driven, or battery-run rickshaws and vans had been banned in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC).
The HC earlier on February 10, 2014, had ordered the government to withdraw these vehicles from highways in 10 districts -- Jessore, Khulna, Jhenaidah, Magura, Meherpur, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Norail, Kustia and Chuadanga.
On July 27, 2015, Road Transport and Bridges Ministry also issued an order, banning the three-wheelers and other slow-moving and unfit vehicles on 22 highways to curb road accidents and loss of lives. The order came into effect on August 1.
A day after enforcing the ban, transport owners and drivers on August 2, 2015, put barricades on different highways protesting the ban and clashed with law enforcers, leaving at least 20 people injured and 75 vehicles damaged.
