E-rickshaws: Pocket-friendly, eco-friendly and there are 1 million of them

If you haven't guessed already, we're talking about e-ricks. These noiseless, emission-less vehicles are changing the face of public transport in India They are everywhere. From the bustling markets of Cooch Be har and the busy roads of Ranchi to the congested bylanes of Varanasi and the crowded streets of Noida, e-rickshaws are quietly wooing commuters, especially in B-towns and city suburbs.

Cheaper way home
One of the big reasons for this is that e-ricks have made intra-city travel cheaper, smoother and faster. There is no standard fare but usually Rs 10 is charged for a regular route. In Jaipur, they have brought respite, particularly in the congested walled city with its narrow lanes. "E-rickshaws are cheaper and more comfortable than a bus or auto," says Rashmi Arora, resident of Rajas Park. On the fringes of Kolkata, where vanos (motorized rickshaws) and ramshackle trekkers have been replaced by e-ricks, a commuter pays Rs 5-7 for a shared trip.

Last-mile ride
In Noida, where a decent public transport system is missing, e-rickshaws have improved last-mile connectivity, especially from different metro stations to residential sectors. Earlier commuters were forced to take autos and had to often put up with overcharging or refusal. They're also being abundantly used on the campuses of IT companies, universities and hospitals in Bengaluru.

Goodbye pollution
"Besides being pocket-friendly, e-rickshaws are also an eco-friendly option," says Vicky Sharma, owner of a company that sells them in Patna. E-rickshaws run on electrically charged battery. Some are powered by solar energy.

Far better than the smoke-belching Vikrams (six-seater autos) that have been ferrying people around in the smaller cities in the absence of a good bus service. In Bihar, the state transport department has decided to promote e ricks to check rising pollution in Patna after the high court sought an action plan from the government.

The UP government has bought 1,000 e-ricks for distribution. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar has announced he intends to replace all cycle rickshaws with e-ricks.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, recently distributed e-rickshaws in Noida, Varanasi and Lucknow.

Two years ago, the Lok Sabha passed the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, 2014 paving the way for regularisation of e-ricks. But transport ministry sources say though there are 10 lakh e-ricks on India's roads, only 50,000 are registered. Jaipur RTO V P Singh said 1,500 e-rickshaws had obtained permits so far, but 1,500 more were yet to be registered. Guwahati's district transport officer said they are yet to register these vehicles "which we are planning to do in a short while".A large number of e-rick drivers still don't have a driver's licence though it's mandatory.

There are also apprehensions about e-ricks causing congestion on arterial roads. Bangalore's transport commissioner Rame Gowda said: "The vehicle is a good solution for last-mile connectivity but we cannot allow it in central business hubs of the city like MG Road.In fact, we are trying to phase out autorickshaws from congested areas like markets and commercial hubs.

(Avijit Ghosh with Saurabh Sharma, Shafaque Alam, Sonali Das, Shubhra Pant, Aparajitha Ray, Abdul Gani, Krishnendu Bandopadhyay, Unnikrishnan Chathrattil, and Dipak Dash.)