State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam on Sunday said the government is moving to bring e-rickshaws under a policy framework, with systematic licensing and registration planned through local government.
The move would help bringing discipline in e-rickshaw management while generating revenue for the government exchequer, he said.
Shahe Alam said this at a discussion on operation and management of battery-run three-wheeler rickshaws across the country, including the cities.
The meeting was held at the meeting room of the Local Government Division at the Secretariat with the state minister in the chair, said a ministry press release.
At the meeting, different stakeholders put forward various opinions and recommendations on the management, operation, registration and regulation of e-rickshaws. The meeting also discussed the progress in implementing various decisions taken at previous meetings on the issue.
Other issues discussed in the meeting included urban management, discipline in traffic movement, fitness testing of vehicles and certification of e-rickshaws, garage and charging management, and use of renewable energy.
The state minister said proper and effective implementation of the policy would play an important role in controlling traffic congestion in cities, maintaining discipline in traffic movement and ensuring road safety.
He further said systematic licensing and registration through local government would help establish discipline in e-rickshaw management while generating revenue for the government exchequer.
At the same time, it would create an opportunity to bring fitness, charging and other technical issues under an organized framework, said the state minister.
He added arrangements will be made to test the fitness of existing e-rickshaws and issue certificates. However, people should not be made to suffer in any way, he said.
Mir Shahe Alam said the draft rules on e-rickshaw management would be sent to the Law Ministry for vetting, expressing hope that the rules would be formulated and implemented at the earliest.
At the meeting, Professor Dr Mohammad Ehsan of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Professor Dr Md Hadiuzzaman of the Department of Civil Engineering of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) provided expert opinions on the issue.
Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Freedom Fighter Abdus Salam, Local Government Division Secretary Shahidul Hassan, Dhaka North City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Asaduzzaman, Dhaka South City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Khaybar Rahman, Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Anisur Rahman, and other senior officials of the ministry and city corporations were present.