In a bid to improve the last mile connectivity in Gurugram, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in collaboration with Smart-E company launched 500 e-rickshaws at five metro stations across the city on Monday.
The e-rickshaw service was formally flagged-off from the HUDA City Centre Metro Station on Monday by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari.
The first fleet of 500 e-rickshaws will operate from all five metro stations (Guru Dronacharya, Sikanderpur, MG Road, IFFCO Chowk, HUDA City Centre) falling in Gurugram.
Moreover, by the end of this year, another fleet of 500 e-rickshaws will cover all 14 metro stations falling in Gurugram and Faridabad.
“These e-rickshaw will definitely help to keep the environment clean also these eco-friendly vehicles do not need any fuel which is very expensive. The commuters will enjoy travelling in these rickshaws, the Minister, said.
The Minister further said the Detail Project Report of the Rapid Transport system project between Dhaula Kuan to Manesar is in the last stage the entire project would be around Rs 50 crores. The number of e-rickshaws on a particular route will be decided beforehand so that the vehicles do not clutter one place. The drivers will be given a defined route of around 5 kilometres.
The e-rickshaw takes up to nine hours for a full charge and can travel over 100 kilometres. The specially designed E-rickshaws with covered cabin and full front windscreen will provide the last mile connectivity within an area of 3-4 km around metro stations.
The smart e-rickshaws will pick and drop commuters over short distances. These three-wheelers can accommodate a maximum of four passengers. Also, the drivers of the rickshaws will wear their uniform.
They have also enabled with CCTV and GPS availability. The fares for these Smart E- rides have been kept very nominal at a base price of Rs 10 for the first 2 KM and Rs 5/- for every subsequent kilometre.
Meanwhile, under the vision of “ Common Mobility Card” the DMRC and Smart -E are closely working to enable Metro Smart Cards for Smart- E ride payments. The commuters of Gurugram region can also avail all the relevant information regarding this facility on the Helpline number +918010400600 managed by the Operator.