Communications Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said 9,000 more CNG-run auto-rickshaws will join within the next 45 days the fleets of the existing ones plying in Dhaka and Chittagong cities.
“The government has recently taken a decision to this effect and the legal barrier to implementing the decision will go soon following the withdrawal of a writ petition filed with the High Court,” he told a press briefing at his office.
The minister said the new vehicles will hit the streets of the two cities immediately after the parties concerned reach an understanding to withdraw their cases.
Of the three-wheelers, the government will give new registration numbers to 5,000 vehicles for plying in the capital city while 4,000 others in the port city of Chittagong, he said.
Besides, Obaidul said, 2,696 old auto-rickshaws which are unfit to run will be replaced by new ones in the capital.
With the addition of the new four-stroke vehicles to the fleets of the three-wheelers in the two cities, the total number of CNG-run auto-rickshaws in the capital will increase to 20,996 (13,000 + 2,996 + 5000) and that in Chittagong to 17,000 (13,000 + 4000), he said in reply to a query.
About attacks on vehicles during the recent hartals and violence across the country, the minister said, the extent of financial losses caused due to the damages to different modes of road transports by the attackers stood at Tk 21 crore.
He said the damage caused to 81 BRTC buses stood at Tk 3.35 crore while that to 525 privately owned vehicles at Tk 17 crore, he mentioned. UNB
