Paper ID: TE-038 741 International Conference on Recent Innovation in Civil Engineering for Sustainable Development () Department of Civil Engineering DUET - Gazipur, Bangladesh Socio-Economic Aspects of Cycle-Rickshaws for Integrated Transport System Planning in Dhaka R. Roy 1 and M.S. Hoque 2 Abstract To meet the demand for door-to-door transport services in Bangladesh, non-motorized vehicles especially cycle-rickshaws have played a major role. This mode is performing efficiently and effectively in moving both people and goods in the absence of mass-transport systems. With the present context of extreme traffic congestion and resulting air pollution in Dhaka city, cycle-rickshaws can be a versatile and sustainable mode of transportation. It is by far the most common mode of public transport used by people of all walks of life. Still now in Bangladesh, as a profession, rickshaw driving is considered very low status job. To be realistic, it is next to begging as in few cases rickshaw pullers derive decent behavior from the passengers. This study attempts to focus on overall social and living conditions of rickshaw pullers in Dhaka city. Millions of poor earn their livelihood by rickshaw pulling and have subsequent contribution to national economic growth. This paper also tries to find the reasons behind shifting from other manual labor based informal sectors towards this profession. This study attempts to examine the impact of cycle-rickshaw as cost effective feeder mode which cannot be discarded from integrated transport system planning. Keywords: Accessibility; bangladesh; cycle-rickshaw; mobility; sustainable transport; transport system. 1. Introduction The cities of Bangladesh have been experiencing overwhelming population growth and extreme poverty. This is, in part, a result of rural poverty, which has led to the migration of poor people from rural to urban areas in search of a better life and better job opportunities. Most of these rural migrants are absorbed into the urban informal sector. Rickshaw pullers constitute major occupational group in the urban informal sector. Most of them consider this livelihood as a strategy for responding to chronic poverty. Rickshaw is the only environmentally sustainable and zero emission public modal transport in Bangladesh. It is an efficient, non-polluting way to move around, and for many people without a job skill, pulling a rickshaw is the only option other than begging or crime. To a certain extent, the existence of rickshaws may reflect the true nature of our socio-economic condition. 2. Methodology The study is based on a sample of 50 current rickshaw pullers who, at the time of the survey (January April 2015), were all living and working in Dhaka. A stratified sample was drawn at random from rickshaw pullers of nearby BUET area, and different age groups were included. Selected rickshaw pullers were interviewed using structured questionnaire. Before the final survey, a preliminary survey was undertaken. From the reconnaissance it was found that rickshaw pullers were not willing to talk freely and give information without any reason. Therefore, the author had to make some trips by rickshaw and collected information from respective pullers by asking questions. 1 R. Roy, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh, email:raj.buet140@gmail.com 2 M. S. Hoque, Bangladesh University of University and Technology, Bangladesh, email:shoque@ce.buet.ac.bd
742 3. Findings 3.1. Overview From the questionnaire survey, some locations of rickshaw garages next to BUET area i.e. Lalbagh Amlitala, Rayerbagh, Kamrangirchor, Nababganj, Chankharpul, Hazaribagh, Annadabazar were identified. The actual number of rickshaws in garage in each location could not be quantified. The author visited some of the locations and also from available information the number of garage varies from 10-50. There are about 50-200 rickshaws in each garage. Each garage has multiple owners and some self owner pullers who keep their rickshaws by giving rent. The price of a new rickshaw varies from Tk.15000-20000/-. This price ranges in Tk. 6000-12000/- in case rickshaws are second-hand, based on current condition of body parts. Some garage owners take lease and pay a yearly rent to the land owner which varies from Tk.18000-30000/- depending on location. Most of them appoint a mechanic to repair damaged rickshaws and their monthly salary lies in between Tk. 10000-15000/- based on skills and experience. 3.2. Economic status of rickshaw pullers The average income of a rickshaw puller in Dhaka city is in the range of Tk. 400-600/- per day if he pulls on half day basis. This amount reaches around Tk. 1000/- in case of full day working. The amount of rent paid to the rickshaw owner generally depends on for how long the rickshaw is hired. On half day basis (from 2 p.m. to late in the night), it costs TK.100/- per day. About 95% of the pullers came from villages in search of better of a livelihood. 90% of them have families still in the village. The rickshaw pullers, who are unmarried and live without family, generally stay in rent-free accommodation of the tin-shed and wooden houses provided by the owner nearby the location of garage. For an individual it costs Tk. 100/- with two meals per day. The percentage of different types of rickshaw pullers is shown in following table. Table-1. Distribution of various types of rickshaw pullers Type Frequency Percentage (%) Permanent job 7 14 Shifted from other jobs 17 34 Source of excess 26 52 income Total 50 100 14% Permanent job 52% 34% Shifted from other jobs Source of excess income Fig.1. Percentage of various types of rickshaw pullers
743 The information presented in Fig.1. is from the questionnaire survey data source and it shows comparison between tendencies of different types of rickshaw pullers. It is particularly interesting that for more than half (52%), rickshaw pulling is not a permanent job. They come in Dhaka city for about a month especially during off-period for extra income, go back, and come again after about 2-3 months. Some of them are engaged in rickshaw pulling about 8-10 days for each month for extra income and also if other jobs are not available. 34% of the rickshaw pullers mention that they have shifted from other profession due to insolvency and excess physical burden. Only 14% consider pulling rickshaw as their only permanent source of income. They have chosen this profession due to lack of capital, more freedom and higher income opportunities. 3.3. Contribution to national economic growth Nowadays, average earnings of a rickshaw puller in Dhaka city ranges about Tk. 400-600/. Thus a rickshaw puller earns about Tk.15000/- in a month and Tk.180000/- (about US $2315) per year. According to DUTHS (2010) [1], number of licensed rickshaw is about 90000 and another 400000 rickshaws are operating without licenses in Dhaka city. Mahmud(2009) [2] estimated that around 800,000 rickshaw pullers are employed in the Dhaka city area, plus another 50-70,000 people are employed in ancillary occupations. In Dhaka alone, around USD 300,000 is estimated to transfer between rickshaw pullers and passengers per day (Ali and Islam, 2005) [3]. In Dhaka, 20% of the population relies directly on pulling or indirectly including manufactures, garage owners, painters, repairmen. It amounts to about 2.5 million people. Ali and Islam estimated that 6% of Bangladesh s GDP can be accounted for by rickshaw pulling and that rickshaw pulling accounts for more of GDP than Bangladesh Biman Airlines and Bangladesh Railways combined. 3.4. Comparison with other informal sectors The next outcome of this study is to compare overall condition of rickshaw pulling with other informal sectors. From the detailed survey work it has been tried to find out the reasons behind shifting to rickshaw pulling from other professions.. The working duration and average daily income of different job types in Dhaka city have been generalized in the following table. Table-2. Working duration and average income of various informal jobs in Dhaka city Job Type Working Duration (Hrs.) Average income per day (BDT) Rickshaw Puller 10-12 500/- Brick Field Worker 12-14 200/- Restaurant Bearer 16-18 150/- Local Bus Helper 16-18 100/- Human Hauler Driver 8-10 600/- From Table-2. it is clear that there exists a serious misalignment between duration of working hours and average daily income in current context of informal sectors. It is found that worsening workplace discrimination, manipulation by the owners, physical abuse, mismatch between working duration and payment scale are the most influencing parameters. The current income structure of different informal sectors based on the respondents can be represented by the following bar chart.
Average Daily Income(BDT) 744 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 500 Rickshaw Puller 200 150 100 Brick Field Worker Restaurant Bearer Local Bus Helper 600 Human Hauler Driver Tybe of Job Fig.2.Income structure of various informal sectors in Dhaka city From Fig.2. shown above, it can be found that only Human Hauler commonly known as Laguna drivers earn more than rickshaw pullers. But operation of Laguna needs permission in terms of route and number of vehicles plying the route. According to BRTA [4], up to June 2015 total number of registered Human Hauler in Dhaka city is 3865 which is very small compared to number of rickshaws. From survey work it was found that most of the drivers do not have sufficient training and most of the vehicles have no proper fitness. Besides they do not provide special seating provisions for women and children. Hence this mode has both safety and aesthetic issue. 3.5. Reasons for choosing rickshaw pulling From the survey, it is found that poor people choose this low status job for versatile reasons. Most common and generalized reasons are discussed here. 3.5.1. Internal migration In accordance with S.Begum, B.Sen [5], every year, in our country internal migrations of poor people occur for both Push and pull factor. In pull factor higher wage and income certainty in urban area are dominant factor. On the other hand river erosion, landlessness, seasonal slackness, flood, drought etc are dominant push factor. Most of the agricultural worker can t cope with the sector whole the year. Most of the workers of North West corner of Bangladesh become unemployed due to uncertainty in agricultural production. So they move to urban areas to seek for job in that slack season. Moreover, some poor in rural area migrate with a hope that they can live a wealthy and better life in urban areas. They migrate mostly due to security for food, good job and to increase income. A small part of them get a formal job in urban areas, most of them get informal job. Unsurprisingly, Rickshaw pulling is the most easily available informal job. 3.5.2. Easy accessibility Most of these rickshaw pullers are very poor, and have little education and few skills. From the questionnaire survey it is visible that pulling a rickshaw provides them with relatively easy access to the urban labor market, and an escape from extreme rural poverty. Rickshaw pulling needs immense physical labor and deteriorates health with time. But people are shifting to this profession because rickshaws are easily available for rent. In addition it requires almost no skills and investment. In the poor economic context of Bangladesh there is a surplus of labor force. In this case informal sector as well as rickshaw pulling is an effective source of employment in Bangladesh. On the other hand, this occupation does not require any specialization and it is an easy way to get quick cash earning and employment.
745 4. Discussions The findings of the study reveal that most of the rickshaw pullers have come from the rural poor society. Nowadays, it is an easy way for rural poor to escape themselves from extreme poverty. The cycle rickshaw as an informal activity has a significant effect on our national economy. Moreover, it is a way of transferring money from the middle class to the poorest class. Every month, from the lower middle class and middle class about 12 billion BDT go over to the poorest group of people of the country and circulate in our economic system by the process of rickshaw pulling (We Love Our Bangladesh,2013) [6]. Rickshaw is an efficient and environment-friendly mode of transport. In addition, it is a great relief to the common people who are basically served with poor public transport facilities. It is a big support to huge number of commuters whom the authorities are unable to provide alternative means of suitable transport. 5. Conclusion In the present context of our country, Rickshaw is the most suitable means of transport for the most vulnerable commuters-women, children and the disabled. Cycle Rickshaws are an important component of the informal economies of developing countries like Bangladesh. They provide an informal transport system for both people and goods. They are basic mobility options for short distances and provide income opportunities for low-income households. It is a matter of regret that the contribution of this sector in generating income and employment has not been sufficiently appreciated. Nevertheless to ensure a better outcome for Cycle Rickshaws, proper regulations and better integration with changing traffic patterns are necessary. 6. References [1] JICA, (March 2010), PREPARATORY SURVEY REPORT ON DHAKA URBAN TRANSPORT NETWORK DEVELOPMENT STUDY (DHUTS) IN BANGLADESH, Final Report. [2] Mahmud S.M.S. (2009), Identifying the Deficiencies of Landuse-Transport Development in Dhaka city, M. Sc. Engineering thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, BUET, Dhaka, October 2009. [3] Ali, M. and Islam, R. (2005) Livelihood Status of the Rickshaw Pullers of Bangladesh, The Good Earth, Dhaka. [4] Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA)>> Number of Registered Motor Vehicles in Dhaka (YearWise). Available at http://www.brta.gov.bd/index.php/statistics-1 accessed on 20 July, 2015-11:44 AM. [5] S. Begum, B. Sen, Pulling rickshaws in the city of Dhaka: a way out of poverty?, Environ. Urban. 17 (2005) 11 25. [6] Rickshaw and Bangladesh from economic perspective: one for another-why and how. Available at http://www.weloveourbangladesh.blogspot.com/2013/03/rickshaw-and-bangladesh-fromeconomic.html accessed on 22 July, 2015-10:30 AM.