Next time when you see queues of battery drive auto rickshaws parked in front of Sulabh Shauchalayas or Raen Baseras, do not mistake it as the drivers are in attending nature’s call! The places have been identified as source of power to run the autos in the city.
Feeling relaxed after route allotment to the hundreds of autos the civic management has decided to provide proper charging points to e-rickshaw drivers plying on different designated routes. According to the plan, the team of RMC officials and traffic police personnel has figured out 59 Sulabh Shauchalaya and 11 Raen Basera within municipal periphery where all the 850 route card holders can position their battery operated vehicles in case on the way their batteries get discharged.
“Now charging up battery operated vehicles will no longer be the matter of concern for the drivers coming to ferry passengers from different distant localities. Earlier, this was one of major reason for the protest from drivers’ side. Within a week, the selected Sulabh Shauchalaya and Raen Basera will be equipped up with all essential facilities where drivers can station their vehicles and charge the battery,” said, Traffic SP Sanjay Ranjan Singh.
After checking all the feasibilities and inputs required, the drivers will have to pay a nominal price for getting the batteries charged up. “For one unit, `25 is the amount that all the drivers will be required to pay to the caretakers at Sulabh Shauchalaya and Raen Basera where the points have been given. All these charging stations are cost effective in comparison to the garages that charges approximately Rs 80 for charging up one unit,” added Singh.
At present, 850 green autos have got the permits to ply on the 24 designated routes. Soon few more e-rickshaw drivers will get the permits. However the administration is maintaining that not more than 1200 green autos will be allowed to operate in State Capital seeking the present traffic condition.
Unaware about the decision, e-rickshaw owners have welcomed the resolution. “If administrative body is making power charging points at different place then this is a welcome step for all the drivers,” said, E-Rickshaw Sangh, president, Abdul Rehman.
Similarly, in a major attempt to curb traffic congestion along the major routes within the urban vicinity, the traffic police department is ready with a blueprint to restrain the penetration of diesel autos at the main locations. As per the records, there are approximately 2335 diesel auto-rickshaws operating in Ranchi now.
“After rolling out some concrete plan for e-rickshaws operation our next target is to pin down the operation of diesel autos. Now diesel autos will not be allowed to ply passengers along the main routes as they are the main cause of traffic snarl. Nevertheless, petrol autos will ferry passengers along the main points that includes bus stands and railway stations. There are 200 petrol autos in Capital City,” Singh said.
Notably, all diesel auto rickshaws operation has been confined to the suburb locations and now will majorly operate from Kantatoli to Namkum, Chandni Chowk to Pithoria, Argora to ITI bus stand and Booty More to BIT Mesra covering a distance of approximately 15 Km including other long routes.
Petrol autos and green autos will cover a maximum distance of 5-6 Km only within the city. The district administration will decide routes of all diesel autos through lottery on March 31 where all the drivers will be given a choice to choose the routes from four different zones.