Decks cleared for e-ricks, e-carts; to ply as commercial vehicles

E-rickshaws and e-carts will run on the roads and they can be used as commercial vehicles too across the State following the16th amendment in Motor Vehicle Act 2014. It can carry four passengers at the most. There are about 1200 e- rickshaws presently running across the district. Maa Bhagirathi Battery Rickshaw  Drivers’ Welfare Association has hailed the decision.

Ram Avtar Chauhan, secretary of Maa Bhagirathi Battery Rickshaw Drivers’ Welfare Association, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister of Transport, Roadways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari for making the necessary amendments also asked Chief Minister Harish Rawat to act on this immediately. It may be mentioned that now after the 16th amendment in Motor Vehicle Act, 2014 dated 8 October 2014, e- rickshaws and e- carts will now be consider as a commercial vehicle and can run on the roads of the plain area as per  the route area permitted by the regional transport officer of district concerned.

As per the gazette notification published by the transport commissioner of the state, all the e – rickshaws and e- carts will be allowed to run on the road and registration of all such vehicles purchased before from October 8 2014 would be registered by the RTO office after being duly recommended by the e- rickshaw registered society of the district.

Chauhan added that Maa Bhagirathi is  the lone society registered by the state government in the district and he is authorised to forward the application of registration of e – rickshaw /cart in the district. He urged all the drivers of the e-rickshaws/carts to approach at the earliest for registration of their vehicles.

It is pertinent to mention that e- rickshaw is authorised to carry four passengers   at a time on the vehicle. Drivers are required to have separate driving license for e- rickshaw. If fully charged, it can run for 8o kilometers at a stretch.

Raja Chanchal, president of the welfare association, said that they have been struggling for survival since 2013. They had earlier filed a PIl in Uttarakhand High Court. Court had directed the state government to do the necessary alternative arrangements, but to no avail, he said. He further said that the association has demanded RTO to give the route plan of five kilometers on any side of the district.