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Rules, routes, QR codes: Lucknow still struggles to rein in e-rickshaws
The issue has gained attention amid conflicting figures on the city’s e-rickshaw fleet. During an August 21 hearing, the court was informed that around 80,000 e-rickshaws were operating in Lucknow. The Tempo-Taxi and Autorickshaw Joint Front, however, claimed around 1.25 lakh e-rickshaws were registered in the city.
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Despite repeated attempts to regulate e-rickshaws through colour-coded routes, designated stands and zone-wise restrictions, authorities in Lucknow have failed to contain their growing presence, prompting the Allahabad high court’s Lucknow bench to ask the Uttar Pradesh government to urgently frame a policy.
The issue has gained attention amid conflicting figures on the city’s e-rickshaw fleet. During an August 21 hearing, the court was informed that around 80,000 e-rickshaws were operating in Lucknow. The Tempo-Taxi and Autorickshaw Joint Front, however, claimed around 1.25 lakh e-rickshaws were registered in the city.
Authorities have introduced several measures over the years, but poor enforcement, driver resistance, and a lack of sustained implementation have limited their impact.
Colour coding fails to make an impact
In 2024, Lucknow police divided the city into 16 zones and introduced a colour-coded system to restrict e-rickshaws to allotted areas.
Around 26,890 applications were received, of which 23,761 were found eligible and allotted zones through a lottery. Drivers were asked to display stickers carrying the zone number, area name and a barcode or QR code. Police warned that violations could lead to challans or seizure.
However, an HT reality check in September 2024 found that the system had made little difference. Drivers said they had not received clear route instructions and were unaware of the QR-based mechanism. E-rickshaws continued to carry passengers across the city, and colour-coded stickers were not found on vehicles checked during the exercise.
In 2024, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) also proposed 45 designated stands for autos and e-rickshaws to prevent roadside parking and congestion. The initiative failed to sustain, with drivers continuing to depend on roadside spaces and busy junctions.
The administration and police again moved towards zone-based colour coding in 2025, but the latest plan also faces questions over implementation.
Stakeholders seek curbs on registrations
Mayank Srivastava, president of the e-rickshaw Chalak Kalyan Samiti Association, has sought a complete halt to fresh e-rickshaw registrations in Lucknow. He also called for scrutiny of vehicles registered using IDs or addresses from outside the city and suggested that new registrations be allowed only after an old vehicle is surrendered.
Pankaj Dixit, president of the Lucknow Autorickshaw Three Wheeler Sangh (LARTS), has sought a mandatory permit system for e-rickshaws and e-autos, saying the absence of such a mechanism has contributed to unmonitored growth, road encroachment and congestion.
The Tempo-Taxi and Autorickshaw Joint Front has separately urged the divisional commissioner to cap fresh e-rickshaw and e-auto registrations in Lucknow in 2026.
Raveena Tyagi, DCP Traffic, Lucknow said the issue required a policy-level decision by the road transport department.
Registrations soar over a decade
When Chinese-model e-rickshaws appeared in Lucknow in 2015, around 892 were operating in the city. After they were brought under the Motor Vehicles Act in 2016, registrations rose rapidly.
Transport department data shows that by 2025, registered e-rickshaws and e-autos had crossed 1.36 lakh, including 92,283 e-rickshaws. Annual e-rickshaw registrations peaked at 18,733 in 2025.
New e-rickshaw registrations have since fallen sharply, from around 900-1,000 a month to 200-300. Registrations stood at 249 in October 2025, 480 in November, 264 in December, 308 in January 2026, 236 in February, 206 in March and 166 in April.
In contrast, e-auto registrations remained higher, ranging from 826 to 1,856 during the same period. Officials said e-autos were increasingly being preferred for longer routes and greater safety.
Court flags traffic police burden
The high court has also flagged the pressure on the traffic police, observing that traffic management is different from regular policing and suggesting a separate traffic police cadre.
The division bench of Justice Alok Mathur and Justice Amitabh Kumar Rai directed the additional advocate general to obtain clear instructions from the additional chief secretary, transport, on the proposed policy.
The court will hear the matter again on September 10, when the state is expected to submit a detailed compliance report.
ARTO administration Pradeep Kumar said the transport department was identifying e-rickshaws registered in neighbouring districts but operating in Lucknow as part of efforts to regulate their numbers.
