Dhaka’s Rickshaws: The untold mystery of their numbers

Battery-driven rickshaws have filled the lanes and by-lanes of Dhak City._11zon

Dhaka, May, 01 – It is no exaggeration to call Dhaka the ‘City of Rickshaws’, as its streets are crowded with rickshaws, transporting schoolchildren, office goers, shoppers and other busy every day.

Yet, despite their ubiquity, there remains a puzzling question: how many rickshaws actually operate on Dhaka’s streets?

In an intriguing twist, no authority — be it city corporations, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the traffic police, or research organisations — seems to have an exact figure on the number of rickshaws plying the city's streets.

According to Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), approximately 52,000 registered rickshaws operate within its jurisdiction, while Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) lists around 28,000 licensed rickshaws.

This brings the total number of officially authorised rickshaws to 80,000.

But, urban transport analysts estimate that between 500,000 and 1,000,000 rickshaws are actually in operation across the two city corporations, with an estimated 80 to 90 percent of these rickshaws being informal, unregistered, or operating under duplicate license plates.

Transport expert Professor Shamsul Haque said no one knows the actual number of rickshaws in Dhaka.

According to him, no authority has ever taken responsibility or shown interest in determining the figure.

He criticised the agencies responsible for oversight, pointing out that they have consistently failed to address the impact the excessive number of rickshaws has on the city's traffic flow.

“They are completely unaware of the consequences of this situation. This reflects their negligence, incompetence, and lack of professionalism,” he said.

In Dhaka, a rickshaw is more than just a mode of transport; it is a livelihood for many. Drivers, mechanics, garage operators, bodybuilders and owners are all part of an informal economy that relies on this transport mode.

Rafiqul Islam, a former garment worker who switched to rickshaw driving after losing his job, explained how this job has enabled him to earn a living. “I earn around Tk 800-1000 daily, and I pay Tk 200 to the owner. The rest is mine.” When asked about licenses, he shrugged, saying, “That's the owner's issue. We just need to earn our bread,” he said.

While rickshaws are often blamed for contributing to Dhaka’s chronic traffic congestion, they remain one of the most accessible and flexible modes of transport.

Attempts to remove unauthorised rickshaws from the city streets have largely been unsuccessful, with many finding their way back into circulation.

A senior officer of the traffic department under Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commented on the delicate balance between regulating rickshaws and ensuring basic mobility. “If we remove rickshaws, it creates a humanitarian crisis. But if we allow them freely, traffic becomes unmanageable,” the officer, who requested anonymity, explained.

“There’s no middle-ground solution yet,” he said.

Experts have raised alarms about the safety risks posed by the absence of a registration and identification system for rickshaws. In the case of accidents or crimes, unregistered rickshaws are difficult to trace.

Ashis Kumar Dey, General Secretary of the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways, explained that many rickshaws run under the same license number.

“One legitimate license number is often copied for 5 to 10 rickshaws. There is no effective mechanism to control this,” he said.

He warned that this lack of regulation is causing chaos on the roads and urged the government to take immediate action, and suggested the urgent need for a policy that addresses rickshaw infrastructure development, establishes eligibility criteria for drivers, and includes provisions for short-term training.

Analysts propose the creation of a centralised rickshaw database, the introduction of a digitised licensing system, and formal training and certification for rickshaw drivers.

Besides, there have been calls for the introduction of a national ‘Rickshaw Policy,’ developed in consultation with rickshaw owners and drivers, aimed at creating a sustainable and inclusive urban transport management system.

Despite being one of the most visible forms of transport in Dhaka, rickshaws remain shrouded in a statistical mystery.

While millions of people rely on rickshaws daily, the true number of rickshaws plying the streets remains a question with no definitive answer. - UNB