For some time now, the State Government has been going strong about giving a boost to battery operated public transport vehicles in Ranchi to bring down the rising pollution levels in the capital city. But this vision seems a far cry given that the e-rickshaws already running on city streets are yet to get proper permits.
According to data recently presented by Urban Development Department, 200 e-rickshaws are currently operating within city limits. This number goes beyond 250 according to the e-rickshaw drivers. And, none of them have commercial permits required by public transportation vehicles, admitted the drivers themselves.
Even State Government’s Jharkhand Rickshaw Chalak Garima Yojana has hit the license snag. An initiative to be executed by Ranchi Municipal Corporation in a bid to upgrade cycle rickshaw pullers to e-rickshaw drivers, its beneficiaries too are waiting for licenses.
“As the project targeted rickshaw pullers, not many applicants turned up with driving licenses as required. Some did, but had non-commercial ones. As per instructions from the District Transport Officer, commercial licenses are a must even for e-rickshaw drivers. Thus, the project has come to a standstill on the issue of license,” stated Ramendra Prasad of RMC’s JNNURM Cell, who is supervising the project.
As for now, the local urban body intends to issue learning licenses to the beneficiaries when delivering them e-rickshaws, but there stands another hurdle in the path. The commercial driver’s learning license requires three years before being upgraded to a permanent permit.
Another reason is uncertainty about the nature of permits the drivers need to obtain. “We got our registrations after a drive was conducted for this some time ago; now the dealers get the vehicles registered for us at the purchase only. But not many drivers have tried to get their drivers licenses as we are not sure whether we have to get the permits issued to auto-rickshaw drivers or there is an entirely different license is required for the e-rickshaws,” stated Rajendra Oraon, an e-rickshaw driver picking up fares along Main Road.
The e-rickshaw drivers will have to get specific permits under the category of light weight commercial vehicles, informed Regional Transport Officer Rajesh Kumar Barwar, resolving the confusion.
But for now, this loophole is being bypassed till a concrete measure is taken to plug it. We get away by handing the traffic policemen some money whenever caught for driving without license, stated e-rickshaw driver Azaad, but I am planning to get my license as soon as the routes for battery autos are specified.
“We have taken our suggestions to Government regarding license for e-rickshaw drivers. We will take action in this regard in accordance to the orders we receive,” stated Prasad.