The past few years have seen a significant increase in the number of motorcycles on the roads of Dhaka city. Since mobile phone app-based ride sharing services became popular in the capital, this number has increased by leaps and bounds, reports bdnews24.com.
Though these motorcycle ride-sharing services have provided some relief to the public transport crisis in the city, the number of road accidents in Dhaka has also increased since their introduction.
There is no information about any direct link between the motorcycles used by ride-sharing services and the accidents, but those in the field say they have contributed to the rise in accidents.
Experts say that unskilled riders, tendencies towards speeding, neglect of safety regulations and incorrect conceptions of the roads have contributed to the increase in accidents.
Uber popularised ride-sharing services in Dhaka in 2016. Though it initially began by offering personal cars for taxi services, it soon branched into motorcycles. Pathao, SAM, Bahon and Shohoz have also become notable names in the market.
The rise in motorcycles on Dhaka roads can be seen in information provided by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority or BRTA.
The BRTA Dhaka office registered 53,738 motorcycles in 2016 and 75,251 in 2017. As of August this year, 65,332 motorcycles have been registered.
This means that about 206 motorcycles were registered in Dhaka per day in 2017. This year the average has risen to 267 per day.
But the motorcycles used by ride-sharing apps are often registered in districts outside Dhaka.
According to BUET's Accident Research Institute (ARI), 53 people were killed and 19 injured in 48 motorcycle accidents in Dhaka in 2017.
Between January and August, there have been 42 motorcycle accidents, leading to the deaths of 47 and the injuries of 37.
Many of the dead are riders for ride-sharing services or their passengers.
According to BUET ARI Assistant Prof Kazi Md Saifun Newaz, the main causes of these accidents are unskilled riders and lack of knowledge about safety practices.
Share A Motorcycle (SAM) Chief Executive Imtiaz Kashem admits that ride-sharing companies are giving job opportunities to those without experience of riding motorcycles.
