Even though rickshaws help migrants cope with economic uncertainty, in transport planning it is seen as an obstruction to more favoured motorised transport. Since 1988 no new licenses for rickshaws or rickshaw vans have been issued by the Dhaka City Corporation. Clearly, there is a sanctioned illegality in the management of this mobile livelihood as more than 15 lakh rickshaws operate on Dhaka’s streets, while the Dhaka City Corporation suggests that there are no more than 87,811 licenses in place. A well organised rickshaw syndicate backed by police and political contacts intersects with the daily work of garage owners, local power brokers called mastaans and community leaders in the informal settlement. Rent for the syndicates are collected in the form of licenses which cost between BDT 200 ($2) to BDT 1000 ($11) and lasts for up to 6 months. 

Today, a battery operated rickshaw costs BDT 70,000 ($814) a manual rickshaw in good condition costs BDT 40,000 ($465) and a second hand manual rickshaw costs BDT 20000 ($232). The rickshaw driver pays a share of the cost of the rickshaw and the license from his daily salary ( BDT 400/$4,65 for 6-7 hours), which is deducted in the form of a daily deposit of BDT 50 – 100 BDT ($0.58-$1.16). As rickshaws are the ‘illegal necessity’ on Dhaka’s streets, risks of accidents and police are central part of their journeys, with passengers often urging rickshaws drivers to break the rules to get by their travel needs. Traffic police fines, which can range between BDT 150 ($1.74) to BDT 1500 ($17.40) are borne by the rickshaw drivers although they may call the garage owners to help them negotiate with the police. Beyond this, the rickshaw livelihood supports a number of other stationary livelihoods like mechanics, tea vendors, rickshaw artists, cooks and cleaners at the dorms where rickshaw drivers live. 

They were all affected during the transport shut down and continue to face the challenges of reduced mobility in recent times.

Mr. Roni Miya, aged 35, is a rickshaw puller, who lives in the Kollyanpur Pora Basti (Burnt slum) in the Mirpur area of Northern Dhaka.  Rony moved to Pora Basti 4 years ago from Tarail  upazila in the Kishoreganj district of Dhaka. In March 2020, during the general holiday he was visiting his  village home and he got stuck there for 3 months. He worked as carpenter for a daily wage of BDT 200 ($2). When he returned to Dhaka, he left his family behind and started renting the shelter offered by rickshaw garage owner Kabir Mia. He says that the pandemic has had a significant negative affect on his health as previously he could work for 6 to 7 hours to earn 600 BDT ($7) daily, whereas now he has to work for 10 to 12 hours to just make half of his previous daily income. With his manual rickshaw he can cover 40 km a day, and typically his day starts at 8 am when he takes the rickshaw from Kabir’s garage and goes out via the pick up stand point of the settlement. Rony Mia cannot take the Dar Us Salam main road just outside the slettlement, as rickshaws are not permitted there and there is traffic police box at the left hand side corner. Instead, he usually goes to Shyamoly or Agargaon junction for passengers and takes them to Mirpur, which take around 15 minutes. He prefers longer routes to Sadarghat, Bongshal, Chokbazar, Bongobazar, which takes around an hour and fetch him a better fare. Sometimes, he returns to the settlement by 3pm for lunch and then after a brief rest he goes to the commercial areas of Mirpur or Paikpara where he can get passengers returning from work or going out shopping. He works until 10 pm and takes one day of the week off.