Staff Reporter :
In a significant move, the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has announced that no battery-powered rickshaws will be allowed to operate on the main roads of the capital, citing traffic management and public safety concerns.
The decision was declared by DNCC Administrator Mohammad Ejaz during a meeting held yesterday on the future of battery-operated three-wheelers in the city.
While addressing stakeholders at the discussion titled “Update on Progress and Future Actions Regarding the Standard Model and Prototype Development of Battery-Powered Rickshaws (E-Rickshaws)”, Ejaz clarified that only approved standard-model e-rickshaws would be permitted to operate in city alleys.
He further revealed that a high-level committee would soon be formed to create a regulatory framework and standardise the design and technical specifications for these vehicles.
The meeting also featured a presentation by researchers from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), under its Bangladesh Integrated Public and Road Communication (BIPRC) initiative. The BIPRC e-bike project recommended introducing a type-approval and formal registration system for a low-speed, three-wheeled e-rickshaw model.
Manufacturers were urged to begin developing prototypes based on this proposal, which aims to enhance commuter safety and streamline traffic flow.
The city’s battery-run rickshaws-popular for their affordability and availability-have long been a source of public frustration. Citizens have frequently voiced concerns over the vehicles’ unregulated expansion, their impact on traffic congestion, and their role in causing sudden road accidents.
In recent months, several newspapers and civic forums have reported escalating protests from urban residents demanding stricter control or an outright ban on these rickshaws from major city roads.
Newspapers recent report from March noted that many e-rickshaw drivers operate without licences or route permits, often ignoring traffic rules and endangering passengers and pedestrians alike.
Meanwhile, media reports also highlighted how traffic police in several Dhaka neighbourhoods have struggled to manage growing congestion due to the surge in unregulated battery-operated vehicles.
A Call for Standardisation
Experts and policymakers have repeatedly stressed the need for a structured approach to integrating electric three-wheelers into Dhaka’s urban transport matrix. In a recent editorial, Dhaka Tribune argued that the lack of technical guidelines and oversight for e-rickshaws has led to an unmanageable influx of substandard and unsafe vehicles. The paper endorsed the idea of developing a nationally approved standard model that could balance commuter demand with safety and urban mobility goals.
Transport economist Prof. Shamsul Haque of BUET urged policymakers to focus not just on bans, but also on structured integration. “You cannot eliminate an entire mode of transport overnight without giving alternatives or setting up a framework for inclusion,” he warned.
