Speakers across the board agreed that outright bans are neither realistic nor desirable. Instead, they urged a shift to phased, data-driven regulation that incorporates safety standards, controlled entry, mandatory training, designated routes, and clear institutional responsibilities.

Battery-powered rickshaws, once a fringe response to congestion and physical strain, have rapidly become a defining feature of Dhaka’s urban transport landscape – reshaping short-distance mobility while exposing deep gaps in policy, safety, and environmental governance, a new study warns.

At a multi-stakeholder event in Dhaka earlier this week, researchers from Innovision Consulting presented the findings of the Urban Mobility Study: Rickshaws in Transition, highlighting how these vehicles are proliferating without sufficient oversight, driving road safety hazards, compounding traffic disorder and raising environmental concerns.

A Transport Revolution – and a Regulatory Lag

What started as an informal attempt to ease congestion and reduce the physical toll on pedal rickshaw pullers has now evolved into a dominant transport mode across Dhaka’s North and South city corporations. According to the survey – covering 348 drivers, 312 passengers and 63 garage owners – battery rickshaws are replacing traditional pedal rickshaws not through government planning, but through market forces and passenger demand.

Md Rubaiyat Sarwar, managing director of Innovision Consulting, told attendees that battery rickshaws are “no longer temporary – they are now an urban reality,” urging policymakers to shift away from episodic crackdowns toward phased, evidence-based regulation.

Drivers, Earnings and Safety Trade-offs

The study paints a complex picture of the drivers behind the surge. Younger operators dominate the battery rickshaw workforce, with 34 per cent aged 26-35 – double the proportion among pedal rickshaw pullers. Nearly 60 per cent of battery rickshaw drivers have fewer than two years of experience, compared with an average of 15 years among traditional pullers – a discrepancy that experts say raises serious safety concerns.

Economic incentives are a primary driver: 57.8 per cent of battery rickshaw operators reported higher earnings after switching, against 31.8 per cent of pedal rickshaw drivers who reported comparable gains. About 40 per cent of battery operators complete 31 to 50 trips per day, far outpacing their pedal counterparts, who average far fewer trips.

Ownership patterns reveal another layer of economic pressure: only 21 per cent of battery rickshaw drivers own their vehicles while nearly 80 per cent rent them. Renters earn far less – about Tk418 per day after paying an average daily rental of Tk414 – and more than half of vehicle owners rely on microfinance or NGO loans, introducing concerns about debt stress.

Passenger Preferences – Speed Over Safety

For many Dhaka residents, the appeal of battery rickshaws lies in their speed and convenience. While they primarily serve short trips – 17.3 per cent to workplaces and 13.8 per cent connecting to other public transport – a striking 74 per cent of passengers cited speed as the decisive factor in choosing these vehicles. When forced to weigh speed against safety, 93 per cent prioritized speed, even though 82 per cent acknowledged safety risks.

The trend is especially pronounced among younger passengers earning Tk20,000-30,000 per month, with nearly 79 per cent of users in the 18-44 age group. But safety statistics underscore a worrying trend: more than 21 per cent of battery rickshaw users described accidents as “very serious,” compared with 8.5 per cent for pedal rickshaws.

Experts caution that while battery rickshaws are often blamed for congestion, their erratic parking, road encroachment and weak traffic management play a significant role too – complicating calls for straightforward blame or simplistic solutions.

Voices from Stakeholders

The study’s dissemination brought together voices from civil society, government enforcement, academia and industry. Fahim Mashroor of Voice for Reform highlighted the role of battery rickshaws in plugging employment gaps, especially where rural opportunities are scarce – but warned that formalising the sector must avoid creating rent-seeking syndicates akin to those in other transport sectors.

Dhaka Traffic Coordination Authority (DTCA) officer Md Selim Khan underscored the operational vacuum: there are no designated parking zones or enforced route disciplines for these vehicles, adding to traffic disorder. Buet Professor Mosleh Uddin Hasan highlighted the physical toll that pedal rickshaw pulling has historically exacted, suggesting that regulated, safer technology could reduce this burden if standards are put in place.

Garage owners and pullers offered mixed perspectives: many have shifted to battery rickshaws to survive market competition, but rising costs and unclear policy frameworks have squeezed profit margins and fuelled calls for legal charging infrastructure and clearer guidelines.

Environmental and Policy Concerns

The study also raised alarms about environmental risks. Lead-acid batteries – still the dominant power source for many of these rickshaws – pose significant toxic hazards if recycled unsafely. An EU programme official warned that improper disposal could spread lead contamination through air, soil and even the food chain.

While lithium batteries last significantly longer and are less environmentally harmful, high import duties have kept these safer options out of reach for most operators, entrenching the dominance of low-quality vehicles on the streets.

Proposals emerging from the event included centralised battery-swapping systems to decouple battery ownership from drivers – potentially improving disposal practices – and calls for systematic credit linked to registration and standards.

Speakers across the board agreed that outright bans are neither realistic nor desirable. Instead, they urged a shift to phased, data-driven regulation that incorporates safety standards, controlled entry, mandatory training, designated routes, and clear institutional responsibilities – all aimed at integrating battery rickshaws into Dhaka’s broader mobility framework without sacrificing safety or environmental health.