Battery-powered three-wheel low-speed rickshaws (e-rickshaws) now need registration to run in any of the country's city corporations. On Thursday 29 October the Local Government Division published in the gazette the "City Corporation Area Three-Wheel Low-Speed Battery Rickshaw (E-rickshaw) Operation Rules, 2026".
What and how fast: an e-rickshaw is a government-approved low-speed battery three-wheeler carrying two or four passengers besides the driver, depending on size, with a top speed of 25 km an hour. Each city corporation, with government approval and in consultation with its traffic division, will set how many may run in its area, overall or by zone.
Who can register and how: applicants must be Bangladeshi citizens aged at least 18. They need an attested copy of their national ID, two attested photographs, a fee receipt and a fitness certificate. Registration will be granted within 30 working days after checks against the technical and safety standards set by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and no registration or renewal is valid without the traffic division's countersignature.
Five per NID: one national ID can hold registrations for up to five e-rickshaws from one or more city corporations, but a rickshaw registered in one city may not be run commercially in another. Each gets a unique QR-coded number and plate, to be displayed visibly, and registration lasts five years.
Working life and safety: each e-rickshaw has an economic life of 12 years from registration, after which its registration is cancelled. A speedometer or odometer is mandatory. A rickshaw that develops a fault must display a sign saying it is unfit to run because of a mechanical defect and be repaired. Rickshaws already on the road may be modified to BUET standards and approved, and the rules provide for bringing e-rickshaws under insurance in stages.
Metropolitan traffic divisions, law enforcement agencies and executive magistrates will act jointly against illegal e-rickshaws. The report is by Janakantha's special correspondent.
Source: Daily Janakantha
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