The ridesharing companies have urged the government to allow them to operate the app-based ridesharing services using motorbikes in pandemic.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) imposed a ban on the motorbike ridesharing services on March this year on health ground after the country detected Covid-19 cases. Later, it allowed the companies to resume the ridesharing services for four-wheelers on June.
Terming the ban on motorbikes as serious negative move towards the country’s ridesharing service sector, the companies drew government attention for immediate withdrawal of the restriction.
Bangladesh Ride Sharing Association (BaRSA), the association of ridesharing companies in the country, in a statement on Tuesday night said things are slowly emerging as the “new normal” and schools, universities, offices, and courts are reopening at a newer and slower pace.
“In light of the Covid crisis, there has been no official ban of any sort on the motorcycles which are moving through the capital, but there is a written prohibition from BRTA which restricts the use of motorcycles as a public transport enlisted under the various ride-sharing apps in the city,” it read.
Referring to the current circumstances, the statement said, “It seems highly unreasonable to keep restricting the use of motorcycles enlisted under the ride-sharing apps.”
BaRSA also said that the companies have taken a number of initiatives to ensure health safety in the services, including for the motorbikes.
Several independent motorcycles are already on the streets and the number of offline trips is gradually increasing day by day, it continued adding that “This trend is hazardous because the riders of these offline trips do not follow any hygiene code and issues relating to security also arise.”
The cars enlisted under the ride-sharing apps are given the freedom to run smoothly while maintaining the said health protocols and the association urged the withdrawal of the ban on motorcycles.
“We hope that the ride-sharing services shall be renewed once again. It is not only the companies we care about but also the various riders who are seemingly unemployed and crushing under financial strain due to this ban,” the statement added further.
It also demanded a six-month timeframe for the ridesharing companies to avail their vehicles to be enlisted with BRTA.
