Why ‘Bengal Tesla’ not right fit for Dhaka’s traffic

Battery-run rickshaws, popularly known as “Bengal Tesla,” have become one of the most visible forms of transport on Dhaka’s streets. They are inexpensive, easy to access and particularly useful for short-distance travel through neighbourhoods and narrow streets where conventional buses cannot operate.

But their growing presence on Dhaka’s major roads has created a serious road-safety and traffic-management problem.

The problem is not simply that battery-run rickshaws exist. The real problem is that a vehicle designed for low-speed, short-distance movement is being allowed to mix with buses, trucks, cars and motorcycles on roads built for faster traffic.

A vehicle that does not fit the road
Battery-run rickshaws are relatively small and slow-moving. They are also highly exposed, offering passengers little protection in the event of a collision.

On Dhaka’s busy arterial roads, however, traffic moves at very different speeds. A bus or truck approaching a slow-moving rickshaw has limited time to react, particularly when the rickshaw suddenly changes direction, stops or enters the main traffic stream.

This creates continuous conflict between vehicles.

Wrong-way driving, sudden turns, abrupt lane changes, stopping in moving lanes, illegal overtaking and ignoring traffic signals are among the behaviours that make the situation worse. Many rickshaws also operate on roads or routes where they should not be operating.

These are not merely traffic-rule violations. In a densely populated city, such behaviour can quickly turn into a life-threatening situation.

Perhaps the biggest problem is that the growth of battery-run rickshaws has outpaced regulation.

For years, the country lacked a comprehensive and consistently enforced system governing this rapidly expanding vehicle category. Questions surrounding registration, technical standards, vehicle design, driver licensing, passenger capacity, route permits, safety equipment and regular inspections remained inadequately addressed.

As a result, thousands of vehicles entered the transport system without a uniform standard of safety and accountability.

Even where rules or restrictions exist, enforcement remains weak. When drivers see other vehicles breaking the same rules every day without consequences, traffic regulations gradually lose their deterrent effect.

This creates a vicious cycle: weak regulation encourages violations, widespread violations make enforcement more difficult, and poor enforcement encourages even more violations.

A contributor to Dhaka’s crash risk
It would be wrong to claim that battery-run rickshaws are responsible for all or most road crashes in Dhaka. Speeding, reckless driving, buses and trucks, motorcycles, poor road design and pedestrian behaviour also contribute heavily to the city’s road-safety crisis.

But uncontrolled battery-run rickshaws can increase the number of conflicts on already congested roads. And because the vehicles provide little protection, their passengers and drivers are particularly vulnerable when crashes occur.

A collision between a car and another car may result in vehicle damage. The same collision involving an exposed rickshaw passenger can result in serious injury or death.

The answer is regulation, not simply removal
A blanket ban is easier to announce than to implement. Battery-run rickshaws provide affordable transport and are an important source of income for thousands of people.

The better solution is to regulate them according to where they are appropriate.
Every vehicle should be registered, technically inspected and built to minimum safety standards. Drivers should receive proper licensing and basic road-safety training. Passenger capacity must be strictly enforced. Unsafe modifications should be prohibited.

Most importantly, battery-run rickshaws should be kept off major arterial roads where they have to compete with high-speed traffic. They can instead serve as neighbourhood and feeder transport, connecting residential areas with bus stops and mass-transit stations.

Dhaka does not need an uncontrolled fleet of “Bengal Teslas.”
It needs a properly regulated system in which the right vehicle operates on the right road, under clearly defined rules, with real enforcement.

The issue is not whether battery-run rickshaws have a place in Dhaka.
The issue is whether Dhaka can afford to let them operate without one.