Business leaders demand to control battery rickshaws, free Dhaka’s footpath
Business leaders called on the government at a discussion on Sunday to control the rapidly increasing number of battery-powered rickshaws, remove hawkers off Dhaka’s footpaths and roads, deal with waterlogging, and fix deteriorating roads.
Additionally, they demanded a five-year extension of the trade license renewal period from the Dhaka South City Corporation. Business leaders demanded a suitable legal framework and questioned the number of such vehicles operating in the city.
Business leaders asked for effective measures to bring motorized rickshaws under proper regulation, claiming that their unregulated mobility has exacerbated traffic congestion.
DSCC Administrator Md. Abdus Salam was the main guest at the debate, which was organized jointly by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and DSCC in the DCCI auditorium.
The participants emphasized the necessity of tighter coordination between companies and the city corporation in order to solve administrative and civic bottlenecks.
They claimed that fixing these problems will contribute to the capital’s becoming more organized and business-friendly.
“Please ensure that businesspeople are not harassed in any way while doing their enterprises.” A speaker defined harassment as “the excessive increase in charges [city corporation tax, trade license fees, and signboard fees.”
Salam, a former vise president of the DCCI, responded by saying that businesspeople ought to be free from harassment. He said that after assuming leadership, he had turned down suggestions to raise these fees.
Abdus Salam asked people to report any delays for prompt action and stated that trade licenses should be provided on the same day. He added that the city corporation was also striving to make it possible to pay taxes and renew trade licenses online, as well as to extend its banking facilities.
“A five-year renewal period for your trade license has been requested. He replied, “Yes, we can accomplish that.”
Salam stated that hawkers and battery-powered rickshaws had proliferated in practically every neighborhood and that the situation could not continue in the absence of discipline.
“We have already implemented a registration procedure for them. In regards to rickshaw drivers, we have stated the same thing. You can’t just walk into Dhaka today and start hawking with a stand or driving a rickshaw tomorrow,” he stated.
According to Salam, the government would decide how many rickshaws and hawkers were permitted to operate, grant licenses and identity numbers, and keep track of their biodata in a database.
Assistant Police Commissioner (DMP) Masud Karim said that police were using technology, such as AI-enabled cameras, to modernize policing in Dhaka.
Masud Karim stated that although the police, city corporation, and pertinent ministries were working on a clear strategy for a long-term solution, police were conducting drives and confiscating vehicles in relation to battery-run rickshaws.
