Bangladesh bans app-based ride sharing due to COVID-19

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Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has suspended operating motorcycles under mobile app-based ride-sharing services to ensure health safety guidelines and social distancing.

“The suspension will be effective from today [Wednesday],” said BRTA chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder.

“We took the decision to ensure social distancing,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, BRTA issued a circular in this regard on Wednesday and sent the directives to the service providing companies.

The ban on running motorcycles under ride-sharing services will be effective until further notice (two weeks for now), according to the circular.

The decision came on the day when the authority imposed restrictions on public transport. As per their directive, no public transport would be allowed to carry more than 50% of their capacity.

According to the BRTA, a total 23,493 vehicles were so far enlisted with the BRTA to operate under ride-sharing service, of which 80% are motorcycles.

Bangladesh Railway on Tuesday also announced that trains will also carry 50% passengers from April 1 for the next two weeks, in order to ensure the safety of the people.

Bangladesh has also imposed a new set of restrictions, including a ban on all public gatherings in areas with high rate of infections.

The Prime Minister’s Office issued an 18-point directive as coronavirus infection is on the rise around the country.

The country on Wednesday broke all records in terms of daily Covid-19 cases, as another 5,358 cases were logged – highest since the pandemic broke out in the country in March last year.

Tourist spots and recreation center closed for 15 days

Bangladesh government has decided to shut all recreational and tourist spots to control transmission of COVID-19 in the country.

The decision came along with some others at a meeting held at Prime Minister Office, presided over by the Principal Secretary of the Office Dr Ahmed Kaikaus, said Secretary of Medical Education and Family Welfare Division Md Ali Noor.

He discloses the information at a virtual program organized by Bangladesh Private Medical College Association (BPMCA) on Wednesday evening.

Mobile phone service may disrupt in Bangladesh

Users of a few telecom providers might face some difficulty using mobile networks on April 1-2 and April 7-8, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has said.

A total of 26.4 MHz bandwidth, including 7.4MHz in the 1800 MHz band and 20MHz in the 2100 MHz band, have been allocated to Grameenphone Limited, Robi Axiata Limited and Banglalink Digital Communications Limited on March 8 through auction.

As a result, the bandwidths have been rearranged to merge the new allotment, the BTRC statement said.

In the first phase, the mobile phone services may be disrupted from 11pm on April 1 to 7am on April 2 in the 1800MHz band and in the second phase from 11pm on April 7 to 7am on April 8 in the 2100MHz band.

BTRC sincerely apologized to customers for the temporary inconvenience.

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