THE uncontrolled spread of battery-run rickshaws has emerged as one of the most pressing sources of disorder on the road, especially in Dhaka, where unregistered electric three-wheelers now dominate both neighbourhood streets and major arteries. Introduced as a low-cost, short-distance transport option, these vehicles have multiplied rapidly in the absence of regulation, spilling onto busy city roads and highways for which they were never designed. In the capital, their presence has become routine at major intersections and corridors, where they compete with buses, private vehicles and motorcycles for limited road space. Most operate without registration, route permits or standard safety specifications while many drivers lack formal licences or training. The resulting traffic environment is increasingly chaotic, marked by frequent congestion, unpredictable manoeuvres and heightened accident risks. Official estimates suggest that millions of battery-run rickshaws are now in operation nationwide, with a significant concentration in Dhaka alone. Repeated efforts by the authorities to remove them from or restrict them on major roads have failed, often collapsing in the face of organised protests by drivers and owners. Consequently, what began as an informal transport solution has evolved into a structurally entrenched problem, leaving urban traffic management struggling to cope with an expanding, largely unregulated fleet.
The most troubling aspect of Dhaka’s battery-run rickshaw proliferation is not just their number but the persistent failure of regulatory efforts to control them. Authorities have repeatedly expressed intention to manage these vehicles, by barring them from major roads and introducing standardised models and operational frameworks, yet implementation remains weak or largely symbolic. Draft guidelines and policies to regulate electric three-wheelers frequently stall in the approval process while judicial intervention, including High Court directives to restrict their operation, has often been delayed, stayed or overturned, allowing unregulated vehicles to continue. Sporadic police crackdowns, such as cutting electrical connections or seizing parts from thousands of rickshaws, have done little to curb their return to busy streets. A central flaw lies in the absence of clear legal recognition of battery-run rickshaws in motor vehicle laws, creating a vacuum exploited by informal manufacturers and operators producing mechanically dubious vehicles outside safety standards. Pilot programmes for ‘eco-friendly,’ low-speed electric rickshaws have been launched, but without coherent scaling strategies, they remain isolated initiatives rather than systemic solutions. This pattern of stalled policies, judicial back-and-forth and piecemeal enforcement allows battery-run rickshaws to operate largely unchecked.
The authorities should, therefore, enforce vehicle registration, technical standards, route restrictions and driver’s training while working closely with local committees and manufacturers. Firm, sustained action is essential to restore order, protect road users and prevent these vehicles from continuing to compromise urban traffic and public safety.
