Owners and workers seek 500K vehicle ceiling for Dhaka, dedicated low-speed lanes, and BRTA permits
Auto-Rickshaw Operators Demand BUET-Designed Modernization and Regulation
- Dhaka Metropolitan Battery-Run Auto-Rickshaw Unity Council tables 10-point reform framework
- Key recommendations include BUET structural designs, mandatory fitness certification, and a 500,000 unit registry cap
- Call for shifting to lithium-ion cells and designated low-speed corridors; human chain announced for 22 September
Urging structural modernization based on safety standards engineered by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), the Dhaka Metropolitan Battery-Run Auto-Rickshaw Owners-Workers Unity Council has issued a 10-point reform charter. The demands, focusing on institutional licensing, improved braking systems, and legal integration, were presented at a press briefing held at the Abdus Salam Hall of the National Press Club on Sunday, 20 September 2026. The association confirmed a human chain demonstration and memorandum submission slated for 10:00 AM on 22 September in front of the Press Club.
Addressing reporters, Council President S. M. Abu Bakar highlighted that the informal sector sustains the livelihoods of millions while providing primary transit access to approximately 35 million commuters nationwide. Proposing decongestion measures for the capital, he pointed out that thousands of suburban three-wheelers flood Dhaka through 8 to 13 border choke points daily before departing each evening, advocating for border entry curbs to contain city traffic.
Elaborating on the charter, the leaders underscored retrofitting fleet bodies according to BUET mechanical guidelines alongside formal fitness certifications, followed by regularized commercial registration, route permits, and municipal licenses overseen by City Corporations and the BRTA. The framework urges mandatory road-safety training for operators to issue smart driving cards, dismantling the legacy 8-zone format in favor of consolidated DNCC and DSCC administrative jurisdiction, and establishing a fixed registry ceiling capped at 500,000 vehicles across greater Dhaka.
On infrastructure and technical compliance, the charter calls for dedicated 'D-3' category utility connections paired with smart prepaid meters at verified garages to secure state revenues, coupled with regulatory incentives to transition fleets from hazardous lead-acid cells to high-efficiency lithium-ion battery packs. To minimize highway fatalities, the council emphasized constructing segregated low-speed service lanes flanked by concrete or plastic barriers, elevated crossings, and structured bypasses. Furthermore, they demanded bringing the vehicles under the statutory Road Transport Act, stopping extortion and random impoundment, and securing worker representation within national urban transport planning panels.
The briefing was attended by central leaders of the platform, including Bangladesh Battery-Run Auto-Rickshaw Owners-Workers Unity Council President Md. Saidul Molla and General Secretary Md. Nurul Islam.
//DBTech/DPO/UTR/BPO//
