Jam-packed Dhaka city is the boogaloo of vehicles. The variegated transportation in Dhaka is the uniqueness of the town. The transportation facilities and options in Dhaka are beyond imagination. Every day, millions of people commute on the road. They choose multiple different modes of transportation. Any method of transportation is also very cheap and well affordable. A hundred years back, Dhaka city was full of horse carriages. But at present, multiple options are available. With various options for transport, let us know about the exclusivity of these vehicles that carry you to places.
Rickshaw
Rickshaw rides are of everlasting pleasure. It is still one of the most convenient forms of transportation for short-range travels. Since rickshaws are unavailable on highways, they are used to travel on alternate roads and lanes. There are thousands of rickshaws in all the areas of Dhaka that carry passengers from one place to another. The only problem of rickshaws is they have limited routes and cannot be accessed for long-distance travels.
Auto Rickshaw
Auto Rickshaw is a form of motorised rickshaw transportation that has the road permit to almost all the areas of Dhaka city. It is run by CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). Nowadays, auto-rickshaws run by electricity are becoming ever more common. They are one of the cheapest and most convenient private transport vehicles in Dhaka.
Human haulers
Human haulers (commonly known as Laguna) is a unique Bangladeshi transport found nowhere else in the world. It runs on particular routes. It is a van, modified into a 14-seater covered minibus. These are quite small in size and are very fast. These are very comfortable and cheap public transports for routes where the buses are always jam-packed.
Bicycle
In Bangladesh, bicycling is also a popular means of transport for the youth. There is a big bicycle community, the BDcyclists in Bangladesh which inspires the youth to ride bicycles. Bicycles are the best mode of transportation since it is environment-friendly and saves up much of your travel and fuel costs. The bicycling culture at present is growing rapidly, and people from all walks of life and age participate in bicycling.
Motorbike
With the introduction of ride-sharing apps, namely Uber Moto, Pathao, Shohoz, etc., the motorcycle has emerged to be the most favourite mode of transportation for Dhaka dwellers. It is indeed the best and the fastest means to reach your destination in time. With the introduction of ride-sharing apps, the number of motorbikes has increased significantly. It is nowadays the top-notch preference for people since Dhaka is always congested with traffic. To avoid congestion, get on a bike, and you will not miss your deadline.
Bus
The bus is still the most popular means of public transportation because of its easy availability and sustenance. Buses carry more than half of the commuters in Dhaka. It is cheap, convenient, and notwithstanding that, Dhaka has an itinerary that has buses en route to all corners of the city. You can go everywhere in Dhaka from anywhere on a bus. It is the primary medium of transportation to date.
Private Car and Microbus
The ride-sharing apps have changed the lives of people and the mode of transportation in Dhaka. People can now afford a luxurious private car ride without owning it. Uber has made this happen since 2016. It has multiple options for car and microbus rides, depending on your necessity and budget. Furthermore, Uber X, Uber Premium, and Uber XL are your options for private trips. Uber Pool allows you to carpool, which is a cheap and comfortable budget ride. Other ride-sharing apps, namely Shuttle, gives services to female riders in specific locations. Also, plenty of other ride-sharing companies give people options to select the best of their preference to maximize their riding experience and utility.
Shuttle services
There are also shuttle services available in the VIP areas of Dhaka, especially in Gulshan, Hatirjheel, Banani, Dhanmondi, Azimpur, Nikunja, Dhaka Cantonment, etc. These services help office goers cross and reach those areas with comfort and in due time. Since these services are on short routes, so these are available every few minutes. In Dhanmondi, there is the Round Trip AC Bus Service by BRTC. Similarly, Gulshan has Dhaka Chaka. These are some common shuttle services in Dhaka.
Water-Taxi
Water-taxies are available in Hatirjheel. With the growing amount of vehicles on road, the launch of the Hatirjheel water taxi service presented an alternative course away from all the traffic, a new inclusion in the transportation in Dhaka. There are four landing stations of these water-taxies. People living and commuting in Gulshan, Badda, Gudaraghat, Niketon, Tejgaon, FDC areas can easily travel through water taxies to save time and for having a pleasant time.
Local Train Routes
Dhaka city has some local trains with long distant routes. These trains also run on some very specific times. They carry passengers from Motijheel to Uttara with a stoppage at Tejgaon. This isn’t a very convenient mode of transportation in Dhaka, but obviously, hassle-free and takes very less time to reach the destination.
Metrorail – The future of transportation
The Dhaka Metro Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is a new metro rail system. The Dhaka Mass Transit Company (DMTC) is working behind the project. TEKKEN-AML-ABENIKKO JV collaborated to work on this project with technical support. With the introduction of the metro rail in a couple of years, transportation will become even more convenient for people. This project is for the mass and rapid transit of people from one place to another, inside Dhaka. Wide varieties of metro rails, such as the elevated metro rail, ground metro rail, subway train, etc. are in the plans of the infrastructure.
With an abundance of transport options at present, Dhaka city is speeding up. Which one is your favourite mode of public transportation in Dhaka? Do let us know in the comment section below.
