A rickshaw-puller may have to face Tk 100 penalty in case of declining to go to the desired destination of a passenger or charging higher fare from him/her, a new rule says.
From now on, non-mechanised vehicles, including rickshaw and van, have to follow certain rules, including obtaining licence from the city corporation for the first time.
The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) issued the rules for the first time to bring non-motorised vehicles under discipline, as there is no certain data on the number of such vehicles in the country.
The regulation - 'Dhaka North City Corporation Non-Motorised Plying (Control) Regulation' - came into effect on March 21.
Maintaining fitness of vehicles, having headlights, attending passengers as per their demands, and imposing penalties for not following parking rules, among others, are its major features.
The city corporation will be able to determine the maximum amount that an owner of rickshaw or non-mechanised vehicle can daily collect from a rickshaw-puller. The owners cannot collect additional amount for the vehicles beyond the fixed rate.
The age-limit for the rickshaw-pullers has been fixed at 18 years to 50 years.
Without permission of the registrar, the drivers of non-mechanised vehicles or rickshaws cannot display any advertisement or objectionable picture inside or outside the vehicles.
As per the regulation, the vehicles cannot carry more than two adult persons or products heavier or bigger than the vehicle size. For illegal parking, the authorities can slap penalty of up to Tk 2,000 to the owner or driver of the rickshaw or non-mechanised vehicles.
The city corporation can cancel the licence of rickshaw or vehicles in case of irregularities, and for not displaying their number plates in a visible manner.
Rickshaws in both Dhaka North and South city corporations will have to use separate colour, hood and cushion.
All the non-motorised vehicles have to use headlights and have bright backlights, visible from five-metre distance.
The regulation is applicable for rickshaw, three-wheeler van, and two-wheeler horse- or cow-carts. In case of its violation, the city corporation can impose Tk 10,000 penalty and cancel registration of the vehicle.
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