RAJSHAHI, Jan 6, 2022 (BSS) - Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has launched
a programme, introducing uniforms for the auto and charger rickshaw drivers
and same-colour charger rickshaw.

   No driver will be allowed to run easy bikes and auto-rickshaws without
uniform from February 1 next as the uniform has been mandatory for the
drivers.

   RCC authority revealed this in a meeting of its easy bike and auto-
rickshaw controlling committee held at the city bhaban conference hall today.

   The meeting also asked the owners and drivers to renew their respective
vehicles for 2020-2021 financial year within the January 31 next.

   Panel Mayor Shariful Islam, Councilors Towhidul Haque and Abdul Momin,
Chief Revenue Officer Abu Saleh Sayeed and other committee members joined the
meeting. Earlier on November 14 last, Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman formally
launched the programme through distributing uniforms among 45 drivers under
RCC's smart auto-rickshaw management system.

   The city corporation had launched a smart auto-rickshaw management system
for the first time in the country to reduce traffic congestion in the city
area on July 1, 2019. It had also distributed smart cards among owners and
drivers of auto-rickshaw and charger rickshaw subsequently.

   Speaking on the occasion, Shariful Islam said the system will bring
discipline to the city's public transport system and lessen public
sufferings. Besides, it will ensure security for the auto-rickshaw drivers.

   The panel mayor urged the auto-rickshaw drivers to abide by the traffic
rules to ensure public safety.

   Under the system, the auto-rickshaws marked with two separate colours are
now playing on the roads in two shifts - one from morning to afternoon and
another from afternoon to early night - by rotation. This effort has started
reducing the overall traffic jam in the city streets.