A couple of days after its launch, Uber in Bangladesh has been declared illegal in the country by Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).
The Director of BRTA, Nurul Islam, has warned everyone against using Uber. If anyone is found violating the policies of the government then he will be punished strictly according to the law. While declaring Uber in Bangladesh as illegal, Nurul Islam stated:
“Uber violates the taxicab policy of Bangladesh. A company needs to take permission from the BRTA before running a taxi service. However, Uber did not before its launch. Therefore, we declared the service illegal by publishing a notice in different newspapers”
The Secretary of ICT, Shyam Sunder Sikder commented:
“There is no legal barrier for apps like Uber in our country, but there is the issue of using private vehicles for commercial purposes: it is not allowed here”
As per the ‘Taxicab Service Guideline – 2010’ of Bangladesh, companies like Uber need to seek permission and approval from Road Transport and Highways Division through BRTA. Moreover, it is mandatory to paint the rented vehicles with different colors so that they can differentiate from other vehicles.
Ride-hailing service Uber is based out of San Francisco. It gives luxury to the drivers to use Uber vehicles and earn substantial money. Uber cars do not essentially have to look like a typical taxi. Any individual can own an Uber car and they can earn money by picking passengers from indicated locations. Ever since Uber was launched 7 years ago, it has been working thoroughly to expand its operations worldwide. Uber also launched its services in Pakistan earlier this year before initiating the service in Bangladesh on 22nd November.
The Minister of Road Transport Obaidul Quader stated that Bangladesh welcomes digital venture only if it follows a legal framework.
Stance of Uber
While talking to Dhaka Tribune, a spokesperson at Uber stated:
“Uber is a technology platform that has transformed urban mobility in more than 450 cities across 74 countries by connecting riders with drivers at the tap on a smartphone app. In line with the government’s vision of Digital Bangladesh we want to work with the government and policymakers to help bring innovation to our cities through constructive dialogue and engagement”
There was a twist in the tale when the Secretary of BRTA told Dhaka Tribune that Bangladesh government will to make amends in Road Transport Act 2016. Subsequently, it will allow Uber to run its operations in Bangladesh without any hiccup.
Image: gettyimages
