Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has witnessed an anomalous and chaotic development of transport service over the decades. Quantitatively, facilities have increased over the years, but the quality of commute has always been poor. In recent times, the proliferation of battery-run rickshaws including the traditional ones fitted with batteries and a different version of makeshift designs on three wheels powered by motorcycle engines has only made the matter worse. Banned over a decade ago due to safety and high-energy consumption concerns, they are dominating the city streets, lanes and by-lanes. A lack of coordinated action is evident from conflicting remarks made by policymakers on the matter. For instance, the State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources recently had all praise for these rickshaws that, according to him, are 'Banglar Teslas,' The Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, one of the agencies that bear the brunt of the ubiquitous presence of these illegal vehicles advised passengers not to ride them.
One may admire the ingenuity and inventiveness of the people for hybridizing manual rickshaws by adding a motor engine to them, but as they are nothing more than backyard make-dos and not built according to expert design and safe aerodynamics, their operational balance is flawed. Their biggest risk factor is said to be they only have brakes on the front wheel. Moreover, some drivers give the impression that they are participating in a Formula One event or attempt to match the speed of CNGs or private cars, which make them more accident-prone than manual rickshaws. The motor installation has made these rickshaws more speedy, but at considerably higher risks of accidents and worsening traffic congestion. It has also robbed the passenger of the delicate windy charm the traditional slow-moving rickshaws offer. Prohibitions and bans in this country, however, are seldom effective.
According to estimates, there are four million battery-run rickshaws in the country, transporting more than 112 million people daily. Moreover, these vehicles alone are responsible for consuming over 5.0 per cent of the country's electricity. Despite these disquieting facts and figures, the entire sector is run in a shoddy manner. Not only do the vehicles lack valid papers to operate, but also there are also no legal charging stations. This results in a proliferation of illegal charging stations, widespread electricity theft, and rampant extortion and bribery to sustain the illicit operations. Small wonder, the number of battery-run rickshaws kept growing despite the ban due to bribery and extortion. Many also blame this racket of extortionists for the lack of urgency to address safety concerns of these rickshaws and make them legalised.
Against this backdrop, the stakeholders' demand at a recent workshop in Dhaka for sustainable management of these millions of vehicles - the better version of those known as easy bikes, mishuks, and auto-rickshaws - is timely and relevant. Since the authorities have failed to effectively enforce the ban, steps should be taken to streamline their operation by installing energy-efficient batteries, addressing flaws in safety features and bringing them under a legal framework. Public safety must be the top priority. Their registration must be made mandatory, and restrictions on their movement on highways and busy roads must be strictly enforced.
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