e-rickshaw, auto rickshaw boom recipe for anarchy in Lucknow?
The issue comes into focus after a 32-year-old woman, who boarded an auto from the Alambagh bus terminal for her brother’s house in Chinhat after arriving from Varanasi, was allegedly abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered by the driver in Malihabad
LUCKNOW An overwhelming number of nearly 70,000 e-rickshaws/e-autorickshaws swamp the streets of Lucknow, with no defined routes or database of drivers due to lack of any association/umbrella body, prompting anarchy and lawlessness.
The issue comes into focus after a 32-year-old woman, who boarded an auto from the Alambagh bus terminal for her brother’s house in Chinhat after arriving from Varanasi, was allegedly abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered by the driver. The driver allegedly took her on a detour 35 km away from her destination, crossing five police station limits. Worse still, the auto-rickshaw was sans a number plate, making it difficult for the police to track the accused.
The police also scanned 1,000 CCTV cameras from Alambagh bus stand to Malihabad, where the woman’s body was dumped after the crime.
“e-rickshaws/e-autorickshaws lack any database of drivers. They do not have any defined route map like other public transport vehicles. Hence, their identification is tough as new drivers are added to the vehicle population every day,” said Pankaj Dixit, chairman of Lucknow Auto Rickshaw Three-Wheelers’ Association (LARTS).
“This is happening due to lack of auto stands, because of which there is free movement of such drivers anywhere in the city. If there were proper auto stands, the identification would be easier. We ran five auto stands for six months, but LMC did not give permission after six months and it was taken back,” he added.
In 2013, blue shirt and grey pants were made compulsory for auto drivers. The initiative was brought to identify legitimate drivers and increase road safety.
Lucknow police decided to regularise e-rickshaws with colour codes in 2024. Sixteen colour codes were decided on lottery system for their systematic operation in 16 zones, but it failed after protest by drivers.
Again in 2025, the local administration and the Lucknow Police Commissionerate decided to regularise e-rickshaws with color codes and the system is set to roll out soon.
AUTHORITY-SPEAK
“The places are being identified for the stands and the district magistrate is doing inspection and identifying the spots. Soon it will be implemented,” said municipal commissioner Inderjit Singh.
“The district administration and the Lucknow Police will bring QR-based and colour-coding scheme for e-rickshaws, which could not be floated earlier. A similar initiative is running in Aligarh. Scanning the QR will give all the details of the owner of the vehicles as well as the driver, thus helping police identify the person in case of any such incident,” district magistrate Vishak G.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN CITY
2,815 e-rickshaws with cart (G)
59,830 e-rickshaws (passenger)
14,520 e-autorickshaws (3-wheelers, passenger)
691 e-three-wheelers (goods)
