No battery-run rickshaws on Dhaka streets, a smooth morning commute to office while many suffer
It took us less than 15 minutes to reach Banglamotor from Mohammadpur, a distance that usually takes at least 25 minutes, often more than 40, during the morning rush hours
When I left home for the office at 8am this morning on a bike, the emptiness of the road surprised me.
"Are the schools closed today, bhai? There are no congestions on the road," asked the biker as we crossed Mastermind School in Dhanmondi 32.
He clearly wasn't complaining. This was almost a dream come true on a Sunday morning.
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It took us less than 15 minutes to reach Banglamotor from Mohammadpur, a distance that usually takes at least 25 minutes, often more than 40, during the morning rush hours.
However, our comfort was short-lived.
We were stuck in the infamous Banglamotor traffic for more than ten minutes, but that's a topic for another day.
As I came to the office, got rid of the morning tasks, and started scrolling through Facebook to see what had been happening around me, I found the group Traffic Alert full of posts from Dhaka residents with mixed reactions about the development.
"I'm talking about myself and around 1.7 crore residents who do not own private vehicles and rely on the rickshaws. I had to take my kids to school or madrasa in the morning, I had to take my father to the hospital, I had to get to the main road from home," wrote one of the residents in the group.
"I found the street completely empty. The few pedal rickshaws were clearly outnumbered by the number of commuters. Which country in the world bans the most popular mode of transportation without considering an alternative?" he asked.
Many other posts suggest experiencing an increased rickshaw fare, often more than double that of the previous day.
"After the battery-run rickshaws were banned, pedal rickshaws are asking Tk70 fare instead of Tk30," wrote another Dhaka resident.
Many Traffic Alert users also wrote about protests of rickshaw pullers in parts of Dhaka, mostly in Mirpur and Taltola.
The group also contains many posts in favour of not allowing battery-run rickshaws on the roads. People were seen sharing photos and videos of their hassle-free morning commute, which makes you think how much this mode of transport contributed to worsening the traffic situation in the capital city.
Battery rickshaws also have clear safety issues due to the recklessness of those who operate them without experience driving a motorised vehicle. According to Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, 8,055 vehicles were involved in accidents in 2023. Of these, 14.47% [around 1,166] were battery-operated rickshaws and easybikes.
The relief in morning commute that the ban on battery-run rickshaws brought may well be short-lived. The ban on battery-run rickshaws will surely bring back more pedal rickshaws on the streets.
Just four days ago, on 15 May, the Advisory Council of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) decided to ban battery-run rickshaws on Dhaka city roads.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, who chaired the meeting, briefed journalists about the decisions.
He said accidents are increasing due to motorcycles and battery-run easy-bikes across the country, and the casualty rate is higher for these vehicles.
"No battery-run three-wheeler will run in Dhaka city. We had earlier banned this on 22 highways," he said.
This time, he said, action should be taken so that these three-wheelers cannot run on the city roads.
A 2019 study by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) said Dhaka has more than 11 lakh pedal rickshaws and over 2 lakh battery-run rickshaws.
I personally think banning battery-run rickshaws in Dhaka was a much-needed decision for the sake of a safer and less congested morning commute. It may also work as a stepping stone to bring back discipline on the streets of Dhaka.
However, I also think that this should have been implemented gradually, taking into consideration the consequences and sufferings of the daily commuters that may follow.
