Be it Laxmi Nagar to CR Park or Seelampur to Aerocity, e-rickshaws have become a ubiquitous sight across the capital, often seen wobbling slowly on roads overloaded with passengers, choking traffic on busy stretches.
They congregate mostly at bus stands, metro stations, markets, malls and shopping centres. Experts say the design of e rickshaws is inherently faulty and their operation by non licensed/untrained/underage drivers render them dangerous on the roads. They always park and travel on the wrong side. Another danger associated with e rickshaws is the illegal charging of batteries which has caused fire and explosion in the past.
According to the transport official, the major complaints against e-rickshaws were clustering on the road that was leading to traffic jams and long tailbacks, improper parking, violation of restrictions on road use, one-way violations, overloading passengers and underage driving. Since they usually do not move until they pick up a certain number of passengers, they block roads and cause congestion. These vehicles also pose risk to people in different ways.
Data showed there are approximately 120,000 registered e-rickshaws in the national capital. However, there are many plying on the road without valid registration causing congestion and safety hazards.
Recently, a 40-year-old e-rickshaw driver died after being electrocuted at an illegal charging station in Shahbad Dairy. He was sitting in his vehicle while it was being charged. Last month, two men sustained serious injuries while a woman succumbed at the hospital after an e-rickshaw they were travelling in caught fire in north-east Delhi’s Nand Nagri,
Besides, they not only cause traffic jams on most arterial roads and Inter State Bus Terminals but also engaged in power theft. In its report earlier, power Discoms flagged to government agencies that around half of these are engaged in power theft, resulting in a loss of 15-20 MW across the city.
This translates to an annual loss of around Rs 120 crore. Approximately 200 e-rickshaw charging locations, with a load of about 3 MW, are booked for theft every year in Delhi.
These e-rickshaws were largely engaged in illegal charging through direct theft and the use of sub-standard batteries, which posed significant safety hazards. Exposed electricity wires left open during illegal charging and non-adherence to safety standards often cause sparks and short circuits.
These live wires also pose a danger to the public, especially children playing in these areas during the daytime. Such open wires have led to electrocutions in the past.
The areas where such illegal businesses are proliferating include Sangam Vihar, Jamia, Kalkaji, Tughlakabad, Sarai Kale Khan, Paschim Vihar, Matiyala and Mahavir Enclave in south and west Delhi. In East Delhi, the breeding grounds for such activity are Shastri Park, Karawal Nagar, and Mustafabad, while Civil Lines, Mukherjee Nagar and Rohini are hotbeds in north Delhi.
Officials say the number of e-rickshaws has been spiralling in the city. Though they have slowly progressed towards becoming a traffic hazard, there is almost no regulation with Delhi government and traffic police passing the buck to each other.
The first e-rickshaws started plying in 2012. In the past 12 years, they have mushroomed on neighbourhood as well as arterial roads. The reason for the meteoric rise in their numbers can be attributed to first and last mile connectivity at pocket-friendly rates. Without any regulations, almost anyone can become an e-rickshaw driver. These vehicles have now become a major nuisance even on arterial roads, where they are not allowed to ply.
