DHAKA’S traffic has become a national headache. A recent study estimates that congestion now costs the city around Tk 37,000 crore every year, more than the construction cost of the Padma Bridge itself. Nearly five million working hours are reportedly lost annually. According to the World Bank, traffic congestion directly accounts for about 2.9 per cent of Bangladesh’s gross domestic product losses, while indirect losses may reach between 6 and 10 per cent. For ordinary commuters, the situation feels unbearable. Cars barely move. People lose countless hours on the road every day. On several major roads, the average vehicle speed in Dhaka has reportedly fallen to just 4.8 kilometres per hour which is slower than a bicycle and barely faster than walking.
Yet despite worsening congestion, the dominant response continues to revolve around flyovers, expressways, elevated roads, and mega transport projects. While these projects may improve connectivity in some areas, daily mobility for ordinary people remains deeply frustrating. Perhaps the solution does not lie only in another expensive megaproject, but also in something far simpler and already proven elsewhere: cycling.
At first glance, cycling may appear too modest a solution for a megacity like Dhaka. But when traffic speed drops below five kilometres per hour, bicycles become one of the fastest ways to move across the city. A recent poll by BDCyclists, one of Bangladesh’s largest cycling communities, found that regular bicycle commuters travel at around 12 kilometres per hour, almost twice the speed of cars on Dhaka’s roads. Cyclists also spend far less than public transport users and nothing on fuel.
According to the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority and JICA’s revised Strategic Transport Plan of 2016, nearly 40 to 50 per cent of daily trips in Dhaka are within five kilometres, while around 30 per cent are shorter than two kilometres. Many of these short-distance trips are currently made by rickshaw, motorcycle, or private vehicles. With even basic cycling infrastructure, a significant portion could shift to bicycles, reducing both congestion and pollution.
Cycling also carries important public health benefits. Doctors have long pointed out that just 30 minutes of cycling daily can reduce the risks of heart disease, obesity and diabetes — conditions that are increasingly common in urban Bangladesh. Non-communicable diseases now account for nearly 70 per cent of deaths nationwide, while obesity and sedentary lifestyles continue to rise in Dhaka. In a city where traffic forces people to sit for hours every day, the bicycle may be one of the simplest forms of preventive healthcare available.
Cities across the world are already rediscovering the value of cycling. In Bangkok, where hundreds of kilometres of bicycle routes have been introduced, authorities have gradually begun redesigning roads to accommodate cyclists after decades of car dependency. In Melbourne, cyclists are legally recognised as road users, and drivers must maintain a minimum overtaking distance for safety. Copenhagen has become globally known for its cycling culture, with almost 40 per cent of residents commuting by bicycle through protected lanes and extensive parking systems. Amsterdam, often called the bicycle capital of the world, has more bicycles than residents and integrates cycling directly with public transport networks. Meanwhile, Bogotá’s famous Ciclovía programme closes over 120 kilometres of streets every Sunday for cyclists and pedestrians, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants weekly.
Dhaka, by contrast, remains far behind despite already having tens of thousands of cyclists navigating its streets daily. According to the Asian Development Bank’s 2025 review of the Updated Revised Strategic Transport Plan, cycling accounts for only around 1.3 per cent of personal trips in the city, despite walking accounting for nearly 38 per cent. Discussions around non-motorised transport have existed for years within agencies such as the DTCA and Rajuk, but visible progress remains extremely limited.
Cycling infrastructure in Dhaka is still inadequate and often unsafe. Dedicated bicycle lanes remain rare, fragmented, and poorly maintained. The city’s first planned dedicated bicycle lane project in Agargaon advanced only a short distance after years of discussion. Although Dhaka North City Corporation announced in 2024 that selected roads would be reserved for cyclists on two days each month, such initiatives remain small compared to the scale of the city’s transport crisis.
Some positive changes are emerging from private institutions as well. Universities and workplaces such as North South University and Banglalink have introduced secure bicycle parking facilities. These initiatives reflect a simple reality: a single car parking space can accommodate several bicycles. In an overcrowded city where road space remains severely limited, this difference matters.
Urban planners often argue that Dhaka does not need to reinvent transport systems entirely; it simply needs to make more space for bicycles. Dedicated cycling lanes on major roads, secure parking near metro stations and offices, better integration between bicycles and public transport, stricter enforcement against reckless driving near cyclists, and awareness campaigns on road sharing could all improve conditions significantly. Compared to billion-taka flyovers and elevated expressways, these measures require relatively modest investment.
Cycling alone will not solve Dhaka’s transport crisis overnight. However, even a moderate shift towards bicycles for shorter urban trips could substantially reduce pressure on roads. The 2023 URSTP Household Interview Survey found that walking alone accounts for around 38 per cent of trips in Greater Dhaka, while cycling remains extremely low despite the city’s short travel distances. If even a fraction of short trips currently made by motorcycles, private cars, or rickshaws shifted to bicycles, the impact on congestion, fuel consumption, emissions, and air quality could be considerable.
Dhaka’s road area already covers only a small portion of the city’s built-up land. Every additional private car therefore consumes scarce public space while adding further congestion. Cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen did not become cycling-friendly overnight. Their transformation came through long-term planning, dedicated infrastructure, and policy choices that prioritised people over cars.
For decades, Dhaka has invested heavily in roads, flyovers, BRT projects, MRT systems, and expressways. Yet traffic congestion continues to worsen. Every new road expansion often seems to invite even more vehicles into an already overcrowded city. The result is a cycle of construction followed by renewed congestion.
Perhaps the problem is not simply how fast cars can move, but how efficiently people can move overall. Cycling will not only make Dhaka greener or quieter. It could also make the city healthier, more affordable, and more humane. In a city that moves slower every year, the most practical path forward may already be waiting on two wheels.
Mahmud Uz Zaman is an assistant professor of urban and rural planning at Khulna University.
