Is it time to rethink the rickshaw industry in Dhaka?
Dhaka’s rickshaw market is valued at $2B, yet it remains one of the most expensive, slow, and unsafe modes of transportation in the city. So why is the rickshaw industry still thriving?
The answer lies in the numbers. Rickshaw drivers only receive 33% of the total revenue generated, and their monthly income is often less than that of a garment worker. Meanwhile, rickshaws dominate our roads, carrying fewer passengers than buses and reducing overall traffic flow. Yet, no government has seriously considered banning them.
The reason? Dirty politics. Many rickshaw owners, who control fleets of 100-200 rickshaws, are politically connected to the ruling party, claiming 43% of the $2B pie. The rest goes to corrupt officials, living off the time and resources wasted on our roads.
So, can we expect Bangladesh 2.0 to take action? It’s possible. Here’s how we can proceed with banning rickshaws in a mega city like Dhaka:
- Engage with rickshaw owners and give them 60 days to relocate their businesses.
- Issue 90-day notices for major roads where rickshaws will be banned.
- After the notice period, relocate non-compliant rickshaw owners or detain them for 180 days to prevent organized protests.
- Track road speeds to assess improvements, and gradually expand the ban if successful, using startups with AI solutions to monitor progress.
- Once the public sees the benefits, a citywide ban will become easier to implement.
- BRTA should establish safety and manufacturing guidelines for rickshaws, and universities like BUET should oversee the process. No rickshaw should be sold without type approval from BRTA.
- Gradually phase out rickshaws and introduce modern buses to improve public transportation.
Update: Rehabilitation plan:
- Short terms to long term plan to train the drivers to drive motors cycle with ridesharing companies. No one would do that if the easy rickshaw option is available.
- Train them to drive 3W motorized automobiles or 4W automobiles.
It’s not impossible to get rid of rickshaws. No modern capital city still uses this type of vehicle. We should not allow corruption to keep this time-wasting system alive on the streets of Dhaka.