Vrindavan, 09.01.2015 (VT): Thirty two e-rickshaws have been impounded for plying illegally in Vrindavan. The rickshaws were seized by the Assistant Road Transport Officer after strict instruction came from the divisional commissioner, Shri Pradeep Bhatnagar. All the seized e-rickshaws were held in the municipality lot. Currently 1600 e-rickshaws are operating in Mathura district.
The numerous e-rickshaws have become a headache for pedestrians and motorists, as they park in the middle of the road. From driving the wrong way, stopping in the middle of the roads to pick up passengers, blocking traffic outside the major temples, e-rickshaw operators have been flouting all the rules of traffic.
Most of these vehicles are rented out by their owners. One person owns several e-rickshaws and rents it out for between Rs. 300–500 per day.
The Divisional Commissioner has taken cognizance of this issue, which has been raised to him from time to time by concerned citizens. He instructed the Road Traffic Officer to ban illegal e-rickshaws and bring them under the ambit of the law. After the intervention from the commissioner 32 e-rickshaws were seized in Vrindavan. The sudden seizures have panicked e-rickshaw owners and operators.
According to the ARTO (enforcement) Shri Munshi Lal, “Permission will be given to only a limited number of e-rickshaws to ply on the roads of the District. Only one hundred e-rickshaws will be allowed in the district for now. The registration of these rickshaws will be done at the ARTO office in Mathura. The seized e-rickshaws will be released only after registration. E-rickshaw permit will be given only to those who both own and drive the vehicle.”
Further elaborating the plan, Shri Munshi Lal added, “A commercial driving license will be mandatory for the driver. The permit will be given to those e-rickshaws that have been purchased locally. The permits will be given against the sale letter of the local agencies. One person will not be allowed to keep more than one e-rickshaw. One e-rickshaw will be registered in one person’s name. E-rickshaws brought from other states will not be given permission. Driving license and insurance are also mandatory.”
A guideline for the operation of the e-rickshaw will be prepared by the office of the Divisional Commissioner soon.
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