Dhaka, July 18 -- Motorized rickshaws have been around for years but as a niche transport sector but never taken seriously and disliked by traditionalists. None were custom designed and just had a motor attached to the standard muscle powered rickshaws. Many people avoided it as they were not considered safe or not a provider of a pleasant ride.

However, things changed almost suddenly as it picked up slowly a year + back. It saw resistance too from a section of the consumers also. They were deemed as environmentally and otherwise harmful but the numbers began to pick up. In the last year or so and despite several confrontations, governmental orders, municipality bans and so on, the motor rickshaw rode on strong and now pervades.

The ban...