New E-Rickshaw Rules: Registration Starts Monday in 13 City Corporations, Dhaka Split Into Eight Zones

The government is introducing new rules to bring order to battery-run auto-rickshaws in city corporation areas, including the capital. Registration can begin from Monday, November 2, in the country's 13 city corporations, State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam has said.

On Sunday, November 1, the state minister gave the information at a press conference at the Local Government Division conference room at the Secretariat on the 'Three-Wheel Low-Speed Battery-Run Rickshaw (E-Rickshaw) Movement Rules, 2026 for City Corporation Areas'.

Under the new rules, Dhaka will be divided into eight zones and the vehicles will operate within designated areas. Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations will each have four zones, and a separate colour will be used to identify rickshaws in each zone.

The state minister said a rickshaw registered in one zone will not be allowed to operate in another zone. The city corporations and the traffic department will jointly determine how many rickshaws can operate in each area, taking into account that too many vehicles would increase road pressure and congestion.

The rules set a registration fee of 8,000 taka per e-rickshaw, with a further 1,000 taka for the registration plate. Registration must be renewed every year, though no specific renewal fee figure was given at the press conference.

Each registered rickshaw will have a separate number and QR code stating the owner's identity, registration information, the relevant city corporation and the zone in which the vehicle may operate. Identity cards are initially being arranged to confirm drivers' identities.

The state minister said driving licences will not be made mandatory for drivers at the start. Once registration has progressed somewhat, a separate notification will be issued on the matter and drivers will be brought under licensing in phases.

The design of e-rickshaws must also change. Battery-run rickshaws currently in operation must be modified according to the design approved by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and only vehicles matching the prescribed design will be eligible for registration. New manufacturers must also follow the approved design.

The rules also contain directions on charging management. Charging stations will be permitted at designated places, and organisations interested in arranging charging using solar power will be given priority. Action will be taken against charging rickshaws using electricity illegally, and city corporation magistrates will supervise these activities.

There will also be restrictions on which roads e-rickshaws may use. Their movement will be controlled on roads used by buses, though the detailed plan will be finalised in phases, the state minister said.

On fares, Mir Shahe Alam said owners, the traffic department and the city corporations will discuss and set a per-kilometre fare. The fare will be set with ordinary passengers' affordability in mind, he said.

Urging drivers not to panic, the state minister said not all measures will take effect at once; registration will be given in phases and steps will be taken to remove illegal battery-run rickshaws, for which those concerned must be given some time. He also warned against anyone trying to gain political advantage over the new rules.

The state minister gave no specific deadline for completing registration. He said he would sit with journalists one month after the start of the work to present progress, including how many rickshaws have been registered and what steps have been taken to control unregistered vehicles.

Mir Shahe Alam said battery-run rickshaws have operated in various cities for a long time without any legal registration. An amendment to the City Corporation Act, 2009 created the legal basis for registering them, and the new rules were made under section 120 of the Act. In the first phase the rules will apply in the country's 13 city corporation areas; separate rules for municipality areas will be made after the relevant law is amended.