Despite widespread criticism, battery-run rickshaws still "flying" on main roads

Despite widespread criticism, battery-powered rickshaws are still running on the main roads of Dhaka. These vehicles, which have been heavily criticized as "dangerous," continue to operate on the main roads, disregarding a recent high court ruling that forbids them. They are also ignoring the decisions made in meetings with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

Some people argue that these battery-powered rickshaws are better than pedicabs, as they can travel longer distances and take less time. However, many residents of Dhaka, including drivers and passengers, believe these vehicles make the streets unsafe. They argue that while the speed of these rickshaws has increased, their braking and control systems remain underdeveloped. Due to their flimsy structure and faulty brakes, these vehicles are often involved in accidents. Moreover, they frequently operate on prohibited roads and drive in the wrong direction.

In addition, many children and teenagers are seen operating these battery-powered rickshaws. Experts point out that unskilled operators are the primary issue in this sector.

Efforts to curb the proliferation of battery-powered rickshaws and auto-rickshaws on the roads have been ongoing. On November 19, the High Court directed relevant authorities to take necessary steps to stop battery-powered rickshaws and auto-rickshaws from operating on Dhaka’s roads within three days, following a petition by pedicab owners. The court also issued a rule asking why the failure to halt these vehicles' operations should not be declared illegal.

Following this order, drivers of battery-powered rickshaws and auto-rickshaws staged protests, blocking roads in areas such as Jatrabari, Press Club, Shahbagh, and Agargaon. Clashes with the police and military forces caused disruptions for several days.

In response, the state filed an appeal against the High Court's ruling, and on November 24, the Appellate Division suspended the High Court's order for one month. The court also instructed that the rule regarding battery-powered rickshaws be resolved within a month.

As a result, for the time being, battery-powered rickshaws can still operate in the smaller lanes of Dhaka. The protests by rickshaw drivers also temporarily ceased.

On November 27, the DMP held a meeting with representatives from the battery-powered rickshaw drivers, owners, garage owners, and labor unions at its headquarters. Police Commissioner Sheikh Md. Sajjat Ali announced that auto-rickshaws would no longer be allowed on the main roads, but they could continue to operate on internal roads. He also urged that no new auto-rickshaws be introduced on Dhaka’s streets.

Ariful Islam Nadim, Joint General Secretary of the Rickshaw-Ebike Workers' Union, stated that they agreed with the police's request to restrict battery-powered rickshaws from the main roads. He also mentioned that they agreed to prevent any new rickshaws from operating and to stop these vehicles from entering the city from outside Dhaka.

In a similar move earlier in May, the government had announced that battery-powered rickshaws would no longer be allowed on Dhaka's streets, particularly on highways. However, this decision faced protests from drivers and garage owners, leading to clashes with law enforcement.

After the change in government following the student protests, the control over these rickshaws loosened, allowing them to expand from smaller lanes to the main roads. Even though the police attempted to regulate traffic, battery-powered rickshaws continued to operate largely unchecked.

The erratic driving and disregard for traffic rules, including driving in the wrong direction and making sudden turns, are contributing to chaos on the streets. The number of battery-powered rickshaws on the main roads has increased significantly, and there have been protests from pedal-powered rickshaw drivers to stop them.

A driver of a battery-powered rickshaw traveling from Mirpur 12 to Agargaon shared that, in the past, these rickshaws would only operate on the main roads at night, but now the police do not stop them, so they are driving everywhere. He explained that while it's not safe to drive next to larger vehicles, it offers more trips and higher earnings.

Some drivers of these battery-powered rickshaws argue that since auto-rickshaws, which are also engine-powered, are allowed on the main roads, they should be allowed as well.

Sajedul Islam, a driver of an auto-rickshaw, blamed the police for their inaction, saying they have allowed rickshaw drivers to operate freely and cause traffic disruptions, leading to worse traffic jams.

Miraz Ali, a resident of Mirpur, mentioned that in the past, battery-powered rickshaws were fined or impounded for using main roads, but now these actions have stopped, and there is little police presence to control them. He believes the current situation is "very dangerous" because these rickshaws lack proper signals, making it hard for drivers behind them to predict their movements. These rickshaws, with a top speed of 30-35 km/h, also cause traffic congestion as faster vehicles have to slow down.

A traffic sergeant working in Shyamoli described the situation as chaotic, with no one following the rules, and these rickshaws are now freely operating on any road, creating disorder.

He said that due to a shortage of police forces, they cannot take action against them, and it's now difficult to find any road where these rickshaws aren't operating.