Four companies have so far acquired type approval for making battery-run three wheelers – popularly known as easy-bikes – out of 19 which applied to produce the vehicle following the government-approved technical specifications.

According to the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), four companies – Monir Auto Engineering, Dystar Hi-Tech Power Auto-Mobiles Ltd, New Grameen Motors Ltd and Akij Motors – applied in the first phase for type approval and got it.

Out of them, Dystar Hi-Tech Power Auto-Mobiles Ltd and Akij Motors are getting closer to acquire factory approval too, which will allow them to manufacture, sell and run government approved safe battery run easy bikes legally.

In the second phase, 15 companies applied:  Dynamic Cars PLC, Nayeem Motors, Yara Motors, Afzal Engineering Works, Metrocem Automobiles Ltd, Saad Motors Ltd, Ahead Solar Limited, Gabriel and Ariyan Ltd, Bay Oceania C And T Limited, MMM Technology, NAMSS Motors Ltd, Franklin Engineers limited, Agrani Automobiles Limited EcoTrikes Bangladesh Limited and Uttara Motors.

Officials concerned said that the vehicle manufacturing companies contacted them, asking for the technical specifications to make easy-bike prototypes. Those companies were asked to get test reports on their model from one of these institutions: Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology (DUET), Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) and Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Centre (BITAC).

“We got applications from 18-20 companies who are interested in manufacturing the three wheelers and we visited two of them to verify their technical and infrastructural capacity.  The panel of visitors will submit their findings soon. Their findings will be sent to the local government ministry for final approval,” Mohammad Shawkat Osman, deputy secretary and general manager of DNCC’s Transport Department, told the Daily Sun.

He said, “Of the companies, we visited factories of Hi-Tech Power Automobiles Ltd and Akij Motors at Gazipur on 7 September. Besides, some of the applications of different companies are at different stages.”

Sources at DNCC said that the visiting members led by the chief executive officer of DSCC were not satisfied with the two factories’ quality control and they might send letters to improve their technical capacity.

Sources at DNCC said that in line with the government policy to issue registration of battery-run three wheelers, the Local Government Division (LGD) has issued directives regarding type and factory approval.

Following the directives, at least 18 companies applied to the DNCC and two companies are going to get approval from BRTA, they also said.

These easy-bikes will operate in the two Dhaka city corporations, as well as other parts of the country.

The process of getting type and factory approval

On 23 July, the LGD formed a committee led by the administrator of DNCC to approve the type and factory for manufacturing the three wheelers following standard model and specifications.  Representatives from Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Center (BITAC) were included in the committee.

On 4 August, LGD issued a notification outlining the process of prototype and factory approval for manufacturing the three wheelers.

According to the notification, one company has to apply for type approval by submitting a prototype to the city corporation, which will seek a test report regarding the model from specialised institutions, like the BUET, DUET, MIST and BITAC.

If the report is satisfactory, the company will get type approval. Then the company has to apply to the same committee for manufacturing the three wheelers for commercial purpose.

The approval committee will visit the factories of the interested companies and submit a report to the LGD for approval.

Meanwhile, two city corporations of Dhaka have trained up 300 master trainers. Now they are training drivers of three wheelers for one day and issuing a registration card.

Talking to the Daily Sun on 10 September, DNCC Administrator Mohammad Azaz said, “We are training drivers and one trained driver will be allowed to buy three easy bikes against his national identity card.”

He said, “The number of easy bikes will be restricted and their routes will be fixed by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. An easy-bike from one zone cannot run in the other zone.” 

Earlier,  the government revised the sixth schedule of Local Government Act-2009 and included a section allowing control and management of slow-moving general vehicle movement, e-rickshaw design and technical features, recharging of batteries used in e-rickshaws at designated places, destruction or recycling of batteries used in e-rickshaws in an environmentally friendly manner, restriction of movement of registered e-rickshaws in areas or places approved by the city corporations, and prohibition of e-rickshaws on bus routes.

The government earlier took many initiatives to bring easy-bikes under a regulation. As a part of the initiative,   “Electric Motor Vehicle Registration and Operation Guideline 2023” was framed and gazetted in April in 2023 but it did not come into effect.

Later, the BUET proposed a safe model by modifying the existing easy bikes running on the streets and the local government ministry accepted the ideas and took further measures to bring the vehicles under a legal framework.