City gets its first sets of Pink e-rickshaws
In an attempt to empower less privileged women, Rotary Club of Jamshedpur Steel City has provided pink e-rickshaws that will operate at Jubilee Park.
The lithium battery powered e-rickshaw was bought on a loan from the bank. However, about 25 per cent of the cost of the rickshaws was supported by the Rotary Club of Jamshedpur. The pink e-rickshaws were launched at Jubilee Park by the Roshni Swayam Sevi Sanstha and Rotarians like Smita Parikh. The cost of each e-rickshaw is Rs 1.95 lakh.
Smita Parikh of Utkal Automobiles under its CSR activity provided the margin money to purchase two autos. It is the result of Smita Parikh’s hard work and determination that for the very first time women will drive pink autos in Jamshedpur roads.
On the occasion, Prabha Devi informed that they have been working on pink auto project for the last one year. At first survey of over 600 women from various locations of Jamshedpur was done of which 30 women showed interest and 20 women were selected in the first phase. They were imparted one month training and their license was also made available. Six women will be directly provided jobs of running two pink autos. They informed that many more pink autos will hit Jamshedpur roads.
The rickshaws and the females will be initially monitored by the Roshni Swayam Sevi Sanstha. The idea is to launch more such e-rickshaws that will help women earn a decent living. Some of the routes planned are from Sakchi auto stand to the old court premises; Sakchi to Jamshedpur Co-operative College. The minimum fare will be Rs 5 while the maximum fare would be Rs 10. The e-rickshaws will not commute more than three km at one go.
"It is our ambitious project and we want to make it successful. These rickshaws can run for 80 km if fully charged for two hours and it is very easy. We will ensure that more and more women to avail these services. We are already talking to other charitable organisations to support these women when they plan to buy their rickshaws," noted an official.