These days, in Dhaka, there aren't any intersections where at least one motorcycle is waiting for passengers. Except for a few major areas, most roads and street corners across the city are filled with pedal rickshaws or battery-powered ones. Due to these small motorized and non-motorized vehicles, traffic management at important intersections in the capital continues to be chaotic. Accidents are common events nowadays. Occasionally, groups of drivers take to the streets, staging protests or road blockades to demand better conditions or policy changes.

Motorcycles and rickshaws make up the largest portion of Dhaka's transport scene. A recent survey conducted in mid-2023 revealed that nearly half—about 49 percent—of all vehicles currently operating in Dhaka are either motorcycles or non-motorized ones like rickshaws and vans. Interestingly, battery-powered rickshaws and auto-rickshaws are not officially classified as motor vehicles under Bangladesh's Road Transport Act.

The survey was part of the project titled "Updating the Revised Strategic Transport Plan for Dhaka." The final report of the study is currently being prepared. According to the survey, motorcycles account for 27 percent of the total vehicles on Dhaka's roads. Non-motorized vehicles like rickshaws, vans, and pushcarts account for 22 percent. Private cars account for 20 percent. Three-wheelers account for 14 percent. Motorized vehicles like microbuses and pickups account for 7 percent. Trucks account for 6 percent. Only 3 percent of the total vehicles plying in Dhaka are buses. Other vehicles account for another 1 percent.

According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), there are around 2.24 million registered motor vehicles in Dhaka. However, not all of them are active—many have expired registrations and are no longer on the roads.

Transport experts say motorcycles, rickshaws, private cars, and three-wheelers occupy most of Dhaka's roads. Not only do these vehicles dominate road space, but they also add to the disorder in the city's already strained traffic system. When asked about this issue, Dr. Shamsul Hoque, a transport expert and professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), told Bonik Barta, "Most of the vehicles in Dhaka are small. And with every vehicle comes a driver. Managing this massive number of drivers is extremely difficult. These small vehicles don't follow any particular rules or systems. At the same time, this large group of drivers has become a powerful force on the streets that law enforcement or city authorities often struggle to control. Their parking is also completely unregulated, which adds to the chaos."

He further noted that increasing the number of large vehicles like buses could solve Dhaka's transport problems. "Replacing small vehicles with larger ones is not a new idea—we've been saying this for a long time. It has also come up repeatedly in various government studies. But I haven't seen any meaningful steps taken in that direction."

Over the past decade, motorcycles have become increasingly dominant on Dhaka's roads. According to the RSTP (Revised Strategic Transport Plan) survey, motorcycles accounted for just 11 percent of vehicles in 2014. Now, that number has jumped to 27 percent. This sharp increase is largely due to the rising popularity of ride-sharing services. From 2015 to 2024 alone, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) registered over 850,000 motorcycles in Dhaka. The number of motorcycles has also surged across the country during this time.

Unfortunately, the rise in motorcycles has also been linked to a rise in road accidents. A recent report by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passenger rights organization, revealed that 41 percent of road deaths in March were due to motorcycle accidents.

While the government maintains data on registered motor vehicles in Dhaka, there is no official count of non-motorized vehicles like rickshaws, pushcarts, or vans. No government record exists since battery-powered rickshaws and similar vehicles aren't legally classified as motor vehicles under the Road Transport Act. However, various sources claim Dhaka has over 1.6 million vehicles in this category—including manual and battery-powered rickshaws and auto-rickshaws. These vehicles operate freely and without proper regulation on the city's roads, further complicating traffic management.

Transport experts say that one of the main reasons behind the chaos and accidents on Dhaka's roads is the large number of rickshaws and battery-operated auto-rickshaws. Speaking to Bonik Barta, Dr. Hadiuzzaman, a professor at BUET, explained, "Battery-powered rickshaws and auto-rickshaws started entering Bangladesh sometime after 2010 without any type of approval from BRTA. How did such vehicles enter the country without proper clearance? Later, local production and assembly also began—again, without any structured process. Today, we have nearly 1.6 million of these vehicles operating just in Dhaka. The real blame lies with agencies like the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industries, the National Board of Revenue (NBR), and BRTA. Their negligence has allowed this uncontrolled rise, turning Dhaka into a jungle of vehicles."

He also noted that removing motorcycles, rickshaws, and battery-powered vehicles from the roads is impossible overnight. "Even if we want to, we can't eliminate them immediately. If the goal is to replace these vehicles with safe and modern public transport, the government must act strategically. First and foremost, we need clear policies and regulations, and those laws must be properly enforced," he added.

Recently, battery-powered rickshaws and auto-rickshaws have become some of the most talked-about vehicles on Dhaka's roads due to the disorder they contribute to. They've become direct competitors to traditional public transport. Motorcycles also serve as unofficial alternatives to buses and other public transit. For this reason, transport experts believe it's urgent to bring these vehicles under control.

Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, told Bonik Barta, "We have a plan regarding battery-powered rickshaws. With the help of BUET, we are developing a safe and standardized model for these vehicles. We aim to bring them under a registration system and gradually replace the current ones with safer versions. We'll also designate specific areas where these vehicles can operate."

He added that the government is working toward introducing modern, high-capacity buses to replace smaller vehicles and improve public transport in Dhaka.