Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Sajjat Ali has announced that a policy is being drafted concerning the operation of battery-run rickshaws.
Under the proposed guidelines, no individual would be permitted to own more than one battery-powered rickshaw, in line with the principle that the driver should also be the owner, he said during a meeting with battery-run rickshaw owners and workers' associations at the DMP headquarters on Thursday afternoon.
While highlighting the challenges associated with these vehicles, he said, “Although battery-powered rickshaws have created employment opportunities, they have also led to various problems. We must collectively address these issues.”
He urged owners and drivers to ensure these rickshaws avoid major roads and bus routes. He also instructed authorities to take legal action against battery-powered rickshaws entering Dhaka from outside the metropolitan area.
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During the meeting, the commissioner issued a firm warning against extortion in the transport sector, stating, “Any form of extortion will not be tolerated. Neither owners nor workers should pay any extortion money. If anyone demands such payments, report it to the nearest police station or outpost.”
Representatives from rickshaw owners and workers' associations raised several concerns and requested the DMP Commissioner's intervention in resolving them.