Battery Operated Auto-rickshaw and Its Role in Urban Income and Employ- ment Generation

Battery operated auto-rickshaw, since its advent in local towns of Bangladesh has been playing significant role in increasing income and generating employment opportunities for the poor urban dwellers. Investment on the mode is highly economically beneficial as it involves an income-cost ratio of 1.85. On average, income of individual operators from their previous occupations was BDT 251.75 per day while driving of the mode has doubled it now. In addition, around 21 % of the operators were unemployed previously who are now offered with employment opportunities by the mode. Around 38 % of total operators were intended to migrate to Dhaka if the mode would have not been introduced in their towns. At all, driving of the mode having some clear benefits over other occupations available in local towns has become a popular medium of income to poor urban dwellers. Index Terms — Income-cost ratio; Employment generation; Migration reduction; Depressurization of migration; Occupational benefits. ATTERY operated autorickshaw (locally called 'Easy-bike') is a newly added mode of para-transit in urban transportation system of Bangladesh. Since the advent, the mode is being used as a popular transport mode especially to the lower, lower