Ride-sharing services need BRTA registration

The cabinet yesterday approved a new policy that requires ride-sharing services including Uber, Pathao to register with the Bangladesh Road Trans-port Authority (BRTA). The 'Ride-Sharing Service Policy' was approved at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister's office.

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam later briefed journalists on the outcome of the meeting at a press briefing at the Secretariat on Mon-day. According to the guideline, the fare of the ridesharing vehicles cannot be more than the fares cited in the Taxicab  Service Guideline 2010, the Cabinet Secretary said.

He said the guideline with only eight articles has been framed to regulate the app-based transport services with private cars, motor cycles, jeeps, microbuses and ambulances.

As per the guideline, a ridesharing company needs to take enlistment certificate from the BRTA, as well as have VAT and TIN certificates and in case of private and public limited company it must follow the rules of the Company Act.

The BRTA will fix the service area of a ridesharing company considering the service demand and road condition, Shafiul Alam said. A transport owner will be allowed to engage only one vehicle under the ridesharing service after one year of a vehicle's registration, he said.

The guideline suggests that a ridesharing company must have at least 100 vehicles for operating in the Dhaka transport areas defined by Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority, 50 for Chittagong city and 20 for other cities. The ridesharing vehicles will have to be parked on a specific stand and parking area to collect passengers.

As per the guideline, a company may apply online to the BRTA along with fee and other necessary documents for having enlistment certificate. The enlistment fee is Tk one lakh, while the annual renewal fee is Tk 10,000.

The guideline also suggests having lists of all vehicles under the ridesharing app-based services on the BRTA web portal and scope for commuters to lodge complaints.