For many Westerners, the cycle rickshaw (also known as the cyclo or pedicab) is an iconically Asian form of transport, according to a report published ob The Economists.
In fact, most Asian cities have long since abandoned them (and a few European and North American cities have taken them up).
But in Bangladesh the cycle rickshaw is as popular as ever.
In the capital, Dhaka, rickshaws can be seen creaking down almost every street. Dhaka’s administrators, however, would like to consign its rickshaws to the past, too.
In July the city banned rickshaws on three main roads. All of Dhaka will be “rickshaw-free” within two years, says Mohammed Atiqul Islam, the mayor of the northern half of the city.
“Dhaka has a traffic problem,” explains Dhrubo Alam of Dhaka Transport Co-ordination Authority. “It is one of the world’s most densely populated cities, and most congested.”
According to a recent World Bank report, the average traffic speed fell from 21km per hour in 2008 to 7km per hour last year.
On current trends, it will be faster to walk by 2035.
