E-rickshaw drivers, owners on strike over fixing of routes in Varanasi

The traffic police fixed four routes for e-rickshaws in Kashi zone of the Commissionerate from Tuesday

The e-rickshaw drivers and owners on Monday remained on strike in Varanasi to protest against the fixing of routes for e-rickshaws by traffic police to deal with the perennial problem of traffic jam in the city.

E-rickshaw drivers and owners staging protest on Monday. (HT)

The traffic police fixed four routes for e-rickshaws in Kashi zone of the Commissionerate from Tuesday.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Rajesh Kumar Pandey said that a new arrangement has been made for 11 police station areas of Kashi zone, Adampur, Jaitpura, Kotwali, Chetganj, Sigra, Chowk, Dashashwamedh, Laxmi, Bhelupur, Lanka and Chitaipur. From September 10, the e-rickshaws not having fitness papers will not be allowed to operate. All e-rickshaw drivers will be given QR codes. They will operate on the routes fixed for them. This arrangement is for the Kashi Zone only. Checking of unfit e-rickshaws will be done.

In Kashi zone, 13,636 e-rickshaws are registered. Of these, only 5,952 have fitness papers.

E-rickshaws operating in Varuna and Gomati zones will be operating as they were doing earlier. They will not enter the Kashi zone. If any e-rickshaw of Varuna and Gomati Zone enters Kashi zone area, they will be seized.

The strike was called under the banner of All India E-Rickshaw Drivers Union which held a mahapanchayat against the new arrangements and remained on strike in Varanasi. The e-rickshaw drivers have warned to continue with the strike.

During strike, some e-rickshaws drivers were seen stopping autos and e-rickshaws running in the city and arguing with the drivers.