The government has taken an initiative to register battery-powered three-wheeled rickshaws in 13 city corporation areas across the country, with registration set to begin on Monday.
In Dhaka, battery-powered rickshaws will be allowed to operate in eight designated zones, with different colours assigned to vehicles in each zone to prevent them from operating outside their permitted areas.
State minister for local government Mir Shahe Alam disclosed the plan at a press conference at the Secretariat on Sunday.
The registration fee has been fixed at Tk 8,000, while an additional Tk 1,000 will be charged for a registration plate. Registration will have to be renewed annually, although the state minister did not specify the renewal fee.
A QR code on each registered rickshaw will contain its registration number, owner’s information, the name of the relevant city corporation and its designated operating zone. Identity cards will also be issued to drivers to verify their identities, according to Shahe Alam.
Urging the electric rickshaw drivers not to panic following the publication of the new rules, the state minister said registration would be introduced in phases and unauthorised battery-powered rickshaws would be removed gradually.
The permissible number of rickshaws in each zone will be determined jointly by the traffic department and the respective city corporation, the state minister said, adding that the zonal system is aimed at preventing traffic congestion and restricting vehicles to their designated areas.
Driving licences will not be mandatory for e-rickshaw drivers for the time being, Shahe Alam said.
A separate notification on the matter would be issued after the registration process made some progress, and drivers would gradually be brought under the driving licence system.
He also said existing battery-run rickshaws would have to be modified in accordance with designs approved by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology before registration.