After the eco-friendly cycle rickshaws, the city denizens may soon find battery-operated auto-rickshaws plying in Chandigarh. In an initiative to promote the use of environment friendly public transport and reduce carbon footprints, the UT Administration is brooding over to introduce battery operated auto-rickshaws in Chandigarh.
The Administration is exploring the possibility of introducing an eco-friendly public transport following the footsteps of Delhi Government, which had launched the battery operated auto-rickshaws few years ago. The UT Environment Department and the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh are jointly working on the proposal.
Chandigarh has more than 3,000 auto rickshaws being run on lPG, diesel, petrol. And, the local authorities are now keen on bringing down the pollution caused due to autos. The battery operated autos also known as e-rickshaws are popular in Delhi, Gujarat and many cities.
A senior official said a battery operated e-rickshaw would cost Rs85,000 (approx). The battery operated vehicle runs for about eight hours once it is charged and is capable of running at least 75 km in one-go. The official said, “At present, the UT Administration is examining the possibility to launch this facility. The increased motorisation rate remains a major concern hence we are mulling to bring in an alternative mode of public transport.” Amid concerns of escalating vehicular number and pollution levels, Administration is now eyeing to actively promote the concept of emission free vehicles here. The local authorities are also likely to set up charging stations in Chandigarh to promote the usage of battery operated vehicles. When contacted, Director UT Environment department Santosh Kumar said, “The battery operated auto-rickshaws are a good option to promote eco-friendly public transport. At present, the department is exploring option of e-rickshaws and a proposal is yet to be finalised.” “The alternative of both battery-operated and solar operated auto-rickshaw is being looked into. The department is also planning to provide subsidy to promote these vehicles,” he added. Notably, the UT Administration’s campaign to promote eco-friendly vehicles had earlier failed to achieve its intended objective. The Administration, which was offering 15 percent subsidy on battery operated vehicles, had stopped providing the subsidy few years back. At present, Chandigarh faces a major challenge due to continuous growth of urban population, private vehicle ownership, congestion and also due to the fragility of public transport here.
After one year of its establishment, Chandigarh had around 940 vehicles and the number of vehicles has escalated to over 9.5 lakh in 2013.