Auto Rickshaw Unions Demand Action Against Battery-Powered Rickshaws

After eco-friendly rickshaws were temporarily stalled in Delhi, the auto rickshaw union has demanded action against the battery operated rickshaws in Nagpur as well.

Vilas Bhalekar, the President of Vidarbha Auto Rickshaw Chalak Federation has said that battery operated rickshaws have grown significantly in numbers in the old city, which compete with cycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws.

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The police started impounding these vehicles this week as they are not conforming to the Motor Vehicle Act.

As Altaf Ansari, a representative of NCP Auto Rickshaw Union said that police regularly pull over auto rickshaws for carrying extra passengers and fine them, but these battery rickshaws were getting away even when overcrowded.

Ansari also said that till the 30th of June this year, the traffic police had found as many as 23,351 auto rickshaw drivers violating the Motor Vehicle Act and had collected fines of more than INR 24 lakh.

Bhalekar feels that necessary action was not taken against them as the police and the transport authority were influenced politically.

Electric vehicles that produce under 250 watts and travel at less than 25 km/h need not be registered as they are not considered as motorised vehicles. But these rickshaws were much more powerful with 650 watts to 1,000 watts, said Anand Chawre, secretary of Vidarbha Auto Rickshaw Chalak Federation.

The city's regional transport office however have issued directives of flying squads to impound any of these electric vehicles plying on public roads.

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