Movement of cars under ridesharing services banned on polls day
The nationwide three-day restriction on movement of motorcycles ahead of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections and the concurrent referendum will start from midnight tomorrow.
The restriction will be applicable to movement of taxicabs, pickups, microbuses, and trucks throughout the Election Day on February 12.
According to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority officials, the taxicabs refer to the cars running under ridesharing services like Uber and Pathao with ridesharing company stickers on the vehicle.
The other vehicles, including cars, will be allowed to run on roads, they added.
In Bangladesh, however, most of the vehicles running under ridesharing services do not use mandatory sticker with the instructions of using national emergency hotline ‘999’.
Earlier, on January 27, the Election Commission sent a letter to the Road Transport and Highways Division in this regard.
Later, on February 2, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority issued an urgent release imposing restriction on movement of these vehicles as per the Road Transport Act, 2018’s section 32 which is related to the government’s authority to control movement of road transports.
According to the BRTA release, motorbikes will not be allowed to run from 12:01am on February 11 till 11:59pm on February 13.
On the other hand, taxicabs, pickups, microbuses, and trucks will be barred from operating from 12:01am till 11:59pm on February 12.
Certain vehicles have been exempted from the restriction under the commission’s directive.
The vehicles include law enforcement and armed forces’ vehicles, official government transports, authorised election observers, ambulances, emergency service vehicles, medical supply transports and newspaper distribution vehicles.
Vehicles carrying passengers to airports with valid tickets, along with their accompanying family members, and long-distance passenger transport services will also be exempted.
Additionally, each candidate and their election agent may use one vehicle each with prior approval and display of a special sticker issued by the returning officer.
Vehicles used by journalists, election observers, officials on election duty, and other essential personnel will also be exempted.
Motorbikes used by election officials or necessary personnel as well as vehicles operated by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission-licensed telecomm service providers will be allowed to run.
The EC also granted local authorities the power to relax the restriction on national highways, ports, inter-district and key urban roads, if necessary.
