Dhaka sets zones to tame battery rickshaws

Dhaka is set to introduce a zone-based system for battery-run rickshaws, restricting their movement between designated areas as authorities seek to ease traffic congestion and bring the largely informal sector under regulation.

Battery-run rickshaws operating in Dhaka will have to comply with a new regulatory framework that will include zoning, licensing and registration, according to Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator and freedom fighter Abdus Salam.

Under the proposed system, the capital will be divided into several zones, with rickshaws expected to operate primarily within their designated areas. Movement between zones could also be restricted according to specific roads and days.

“Rickshaws from one area will not be allowed to move freely into another. Depending on requirements, restrictions may also be imposed based on specific days and roads,” Abdus Salam said.

He gave Demra-to-New Market as an example of the proposed restrictions, saying rickshaws from Demra would not be allowed to travel to New Market under the zoning system.

“We will divide the city into zones and may assign specific days and roads for their movement. Some roads may be completely restricted to them,” he said.

The move comes amid a growing number of battery-run rickshaws operating without adequate regulation. According to the DSCC administrator, many of these vehicles frequently violate traffic rules, drive against traffic and contribute to congestion.

The authorities are therefore working to establish a formal registration and licensing system, as Salam said the sector could not be effectively managed without identifying and regulating both the vehicles and their operators.

No rickshaw would be allowed to operate in Dhaka without a valid licence, he said. Rickshaws entering the capital from Keraniganj or crossing the river from Demra into other areas would also face restrictions.

Likewise, rickshaws operating under Dhaka North City Corporation would not be allowed to move indiscriminately into DSCC areas.

“We want to bring the entire system under a proper framework. It will take some time, and we need cooperation from the media and all stakeholders,” Salam said.

The number of battery-run rickshaws entering Dhaka from different parts of the country has increased since August 5, according to the DSCC administrator, making the need for regulation more urgent.

Salam also linked the growth of the informal rickshaw sector to the increasing influx of people into Dhaka following floods, river erosion and other natural disasters. Many newcomers settle in open spaces and take up rickshaw driving or street vending for their livelihoods.

“Can we accommodate people from across the country in Dhaka? This also needs to be regulated,” he said, stressing that unplanned migration was placing additional pressure on the capital’s already strained infrastructure.

The proposed restrictions will not be limited to rickshaws. The DSCC is also working to bring bus operations under a more disciplined system.

Steps were initiated before Eid to prevent buses from stopping randomly or picking up and dropping off passengers at unauthorised locations, Salam said.

“Buses cannot be allowed to stop wherever they want or pick up passengers from wherever they choose. That too has to be brought under a system,” he said.

Discussions have already been held with transport-sector stakeholders, who have been given time to comply with the proposed arrangements.

“In a few months, InshaAllah, you will see the system largely coming under a proper framework,” Salam said.

He also urged citizens to share responsibility for improving traffic management, saying urban congestion and disorder could not be addressed by government agencies alone.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam said the government was preparing a policy to regulate battery-run and electric rickshaws across city corporations, municipalities, upazilas and union parishads.

The policy is being formulated under the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009 and the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Act, 2026, he said.

“If implemented effectively, the policy will help control traffic congestion, bring discipline to road movement and improve road safety,” the state minister said.

The proposed licensing and registration system would also help increase government revenue, he added.

The government plans to modernise existing regulations and amend relevant rules to establish a coordinated licensing framework covering city corporations, municipalities, upazilas and union parishads.

The proposed measures would shift battery-run rickshaws from largely informal operation towards a regulated system based on licensing, registration and zone-based movement.

Authorities say the framework is intended to improve traffic discipline, reduce congestion, strengthen road safety and establish greater accountability across the sector.