RTA announces subsidies, scrap costs to replace old diesel autos with e-rickshaws

The regional transport authority (RTA), in a bid to ensure that banned diesel auto-rickshaws older than 10 years are taken off the roads and scrapped, announced an initiative to replace such vehicles with e-rickshaws at no extra cost for vehicle owners

The regional transport authority (RTA), in a bid to ensure that banned diesel auto-rickshaws older than 10 years are taken off the roads and scrapped, announced an initiative to replace such vehicles with e-rickshaws at no extra cost for vehicle owners. Setting a September 2021 deadline for the same, officials familiar with the matter said they will offer subsidies and scrap costs to vehicle owners for easily procuring e-rickshaws.

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Dhaarna Yadav, secretary, RTA, Gurugram, said a decision was taken to scrap old diesel auto-rickshaws as these were found plying despite being banned. “The decision to phase out the pollution-emitting auto-rickshaws was taken because of the growing contamination of ambient air, which has deteriorated to the worst level in the city,” said Yadav.

Officials said that replacing diesel auto-rickshaws is important to ensure better air quality, as such vehicles severely impact the air quality, especially during winter, when the situation is compounded by falling temperatures and fog. Currently, 50,000 diesel auto-rickshaws are plying on the city roads, of which around 12,000 are older than 10 years. However, the RTA could not provide information on the number of e-rickshaws currently operational in the city.

“The commuters will not be hit by this decision as we are not only phasing out diesel auto-rickshaws but also replacing them with e-rickshaws so that last-mile connectivity is not affected,” Yadav said.

However, experts expressed concern over diminishing last-mile connectivity options, as the city is heavily reliant on the shared diesel auto-rickshaws, which are easily accessible and cost comparatively much less than cab services or private auto-rickshaws.

Sewa Ram, head of the department of transport planning at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in Delhi, said that it is a good decision to introduce e-rickshaws provided they are integrated with the bus connectivity so that people do not have to bargain and pay digitally once they step out of the bus.

“The department has to ensure the last-mile connectivity is in place and the fares are fixed. The facility should be from point to point so that the drivers cannot deny passengers any route. There should be two models, one which is driven at a fixed speed and only four people can board, and another where speed is not a constrain,” he said.

He said that e-rickshaw rides will cost commuters more than diesel auto-rickshaw rides, as an e-rickshaw can only accommodate four passengers, compared to eight in diesel auto-rickshaws. Also, there will be problems if e-rickshaw drivers refuse long commutes and that the onus is on the authorities to ensure this does not happen.

Officials familiar with the matter said that Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar will inaugurate the e-rickshaws on April 9 in the city.

“The process of registration and driving licence for these e-rickshaws will be done on priority at the RTA office. We will provide e-rickshaw owners registration certificates within 72 hours of applying. Charging stations have already been set up and more will be put up according to the rising demand. We are helping drivers with the chief minister’s subsidy and MCG subsidy along with ₹12,000 from scrap. Finance schemes have been worked out so that drivers hardly need to pay any extra amount,” Yadav said.

Yadav said that more than 100 charging stations have been set up in Udyog Vihar, South City and Golf Course Road.

Palash Roy Chowdhury, co-founder, chairman and managing director of SmartE, an e-rickshaw manufacturer that has tied up with the RTA, said, “The project will provide safe, convenient and affordable last-mile services to citizens of the Millennium City while increasing the daily earning of the drivers. Plus, it will save tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions.”

Chowdhury said that an electric vehicle will cost nearly ₹1.75 lakh, including registration cost. He said that a finance scheme was worked out, wherein a driver can ₹400- ₹450 per day.

Auto-rickshaw drivers, however, were unhappy with the move and said they will not invest in e-rickshaws as they are not confident that the department will set up enough charging stations. They alleged that auto-rickshaw stands that were promised long ago are yet to be created and that the move is an eyewash.

Yogesh Sharma, the state general secretary of the Haryana Auto Chalak Sanghatan, said e-rickshaws are not a feasible option as they are not suitable for long distances. “This e-rickshaw will be used for a short distance and if any passenger wants to go to Manesar, it will take more than three hours in these rickshaws,” he said, adding that they are not supporting this initiative and it is not welcomed by the drivers.