DSCC sells 27,000 e-rickshaw registration forms in two weeks

The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has sold a total of 27,000 application forms for e-rickshaw registration as part of an initiative to regulate the number and movement of the vehicles on city roads.

DSCC began selling the forms on 3 November and sold 27,000 by Sunday, according to the corporation’s public relations department.

However, the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has not yet started selling application forms.

DNCC Public Relations Officer Zakir Hossain told the Daily Sun that the corporation had sought approval from the Local Government Division (LGD) to determine the number of forms to be sold.

“We will begin the sale shortly after receiving LGD approval,” he said.

An owner is allowed to register a maximum of five e-rickshaws, subject to fulfilling the prescribed conditions, under the City Corporation Areas Three-Wheeled Low-Speed Battery-Operated Rickshaw (E-Rickshaw) Movement Rules, 2026, issued by the Local Government Division.

DSCC administrator inspects BUET-approved e-rickshaw models

As part of the process of approving e-rickshaw manufacturers for operation in DSCC areas, its administrator inspected e-rickshaws that had undergone safety tests at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

The inspection was held at Nagar Bhaban on Sunday afternoon, where DSCC Administrator Md Abdus Salam examined e-rickshaws designed by 13 companies and tested by BUET.

During the inspection, the administrator said the corporation had decided to introduce four different colours of e-rickshaws in its four zones – green, blue, purple and orange.

He said e-rickshaws designed by 11 companies had already passed BUET's safety tests, while the testing process for four more companies was underway.

In the next phase, the companies will apply to the city corporation with the necessary documents in accordance with the prescribed rules. Their documents will be scrutinised and factories inspected before production permission is granted to those meeting the required standards.

Responding to a question about the future of existing auto-rickshaws, Abdus Salam said the issue was not about whether a vehicle was an old or new model, but about passenger safety and road discipline. 

"If a model passes BUET's safety tests, it will be eligible for a licence, whether it is new or old. However, no one will be given a licence beyond the designated number of vehicles allowed in a particular zone," he said.

He further said both the licensing of manufacturing companies and the registration of individual owners would be completed in strict compliance with the prescribed rules.