BUET spends Tk 60 million on laptops and projectors for rickshaw driver training

News report

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is preparing trainers to train rickshaw drivers using battery-powered rickshaws designed by BUET. In the first phase, 300 trainers are being prepared. They will later train rickshaw drivers from BUET. DNCC is spending about Tk 5.5 million on training trainers. Apart from this, laptops and projectors are being purchased at a cost of Tk 6 crore for training rickshaw drivers.

However, questions have already been raised about whether it will be possible to bring order to the roads even after spending so much money.

As part of the initiative of the Local Government Department and DNCC-DSCC to restore order on Dhaka’s roads, BUET’s Mechanical Engineering Department is manufacturing these rickshaws. These will be trialled on the roads of Paltan, Dhanmondi and Uttara this month. The potential price of each rickshaw is around 1 lakh 45 thousand taka. All the battery rickshaws currently plying on the roads will be removed. Drivers will be given one year to manufacture BUET’s rickshaws. A micro-loan facility is also being provided to buy rickshaws.

The interim government is training drivers before putting BUET’s rickshaws on the road. For this, 300 trainers are being prepared first. Of these, 100 are police members and 200 are taken from the youth development list. Out of that list, 175 are activists of the anti-discrimination student movement. The remaining 25 are trainers for various youth development programs.

Advisor Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan inaugurated the training program at DNCC’s Nagar Bhaban on June 28.

A DNCC official said, 54 lakh 80 thousand taka has been allocated for 300 trainers. 200 of them received 1 thousand taka as daily allowance. There was also the cost of food and breakfast. After the training, the trainers will be given a laptop and a projector. 6 crore taka has been allocated for this. Each laptop and projector will cost 1 lakh and 2 lakh taka.

Regarding laptops and projectors, Matiur Rahman, manager of BRAC’s road safety program, said, “When the trainers train drivers, they will need laptops to create a database. Projectors are needed to teach rickshaw driving and explain the rules and regulations. These are being purchased from a specific vendor of the city corporation.”

DNCC systems analyst Abul Hasnat Ashraful Alam said that DNCC has allocated about Tk 50 million to buy laptops and projectors for instructors. There are also some other purchases.

Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, Secretary General of the Passenger Welfare Association, said, “So far, no initiative by the government or the city corporation to restore order on the roads has yielded any results. On the contrary, the suffering of passengers has increased a hundredfold. It is hoped that BUET’s rickshaws will restore order on the roads.”

Local Government Advisor Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan said, “Rickshaw pullers were partners in July. If they are brought into the licensing system through registration and training, there will be no more room for them to be called illegal.”

What is the specialty of Buet’s rickshaw? In response to the question, those concerned in the Mechanical Engineering Department of Buet claimed that Buet’s design is modern compared to the current battery-powered rickshaws. It is safe, economical, environmentally friendly and sustainable. The speed of this rickshaw is limited to 30 kilometers per hour. It has hydraulic brakes and passenger safety systems. It can carry 325 to 425 kg. It also has an approved charging point.