Congratulations are in order for Walton, whose electric bike under the brand name Takyon got the approval of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and should be hitting the streets shortly.
This is good news for numerous reasons. For starters, the e-bike offers citizens a newer, cheaper mode of transportation which is to cost only 10-15 paisa per kilometre. Furthermore, electric bikes also offer a more eco-friendly mode of transportation, and could be a factor in reducing emissions and dependency on fossil fuels while simultaneously reducing accidents as a result of motorbikes, owing to the e-bike being a safer vehicle to ride on.
Furthermore, it is encouraging to see a local Bangladeshi company's pro-active measures in identifying a market demand and then following through with creating a product; electric vehicles, be they bikes or cars are the future of road transportation, with sales increasing every year. The fact that a Bangladeshi company has joined the ranks is certainly good to see.
This could be the beginning of change as far as transportation in Bangladesh is concerned while also encouraging other local companies to identify market demands and address them.
Furthermore, with Bangladesh needing to identify potential new industries to expand and build upon to take some pressure off of the RMG sector, our foray into electronic goods has been encouraging in recent years, and electric bikes could be a potential product that could be exported, particularly to nations that are not only environmentally-conscious but also have a culture of bike riding.
What must be ensured is any support that our companies might need from the authorities concerned. Innovative ideas that address issues and can help the people must never be subjected to bottlenecks. It is only when all parties are aligned can we continue to see progress.
