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E-rickshaw Encumbrance: As depts drag their feet on e-rickshaw stands, complaints pile up
Despite traffic department regulations, these drivers frequently disregard parking restrictions, resulting in traffic congestion.
LUCKNOW City’s new three-wheeler of choice -- the e-rickshaws -- have taken centre stage in a burgeoning traffic conundrum. Streets are now grappling with issues such as traffic jams, encroachments in bustling market areas, and more, all partly attributed to the mismanagement of these e-rickshaws.
HT’s investigative series has revealed that alongside the non-issuance of adequate permits, the absence of e-rickshaw stands exacerbates these issues, all while the responsibility game persists.
According to municipal commissioner Inderjeet Singh, high-ranking administrative officials in the city, including the district magistrate, divisional commissioner, and himself, have engaged in discussions on how to manage the unregulated movement of e-rickshaws for nearly a year.
Only 14 Stands Handed Over to Accommodate
“The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has identified 45 locations for creating parking stands and 27 pick-up and drop-off points for auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws in the city,” he revealed.
The meeting for this purpose took place in May earlier this year and included an LMC official, corporators from various political parties, and a representative of the transport and taxi-auto-rickshaw joint union who submitted recommendations to the LMC house. “Fourteen stands have been handed over to the authorities, and the rest will be allocated soon,” he assured. “Boards and signages will be placed at these locations to facilitate the public,” added an LMC official.
Stands Crop Up Strategically: Where E-Rickshaws Find Fares
E-rickshaw and auto drivers often choose to congregate at intersections, where they claim to find more customers. Despite traffic department regulations, these drivers frequently disregard parking restrictions, resulting in traffic congestion.
Prakhar Tiwari, an e-rickshaw driver stationed at Awadh Chauraha alongside at least 10 other e-rickshaws at an auto stand, explained, “We park here because it’s a major intersection. It becomes very busy in the afternoons, and we can transport almost 30-50 passengers until evening by making approximately 15 rounds around the area at most.”
Akhilesh Dwivedi, assistant regional transport officer (Lucknow), offered insights into the current situation, stating that official e-rickshaw stands are ineffective if not enforced by traffic police. “Stands emerge where drivers believe they can find more passengers, often at the same locations as auto stands. Since these vehicles serve as connecting modes of transportation and do not generate high fares from single passengers, they prefer this approach,” he observed. Consequently, e-rickshaws from one end of the city can be seen ferrying passengers to the opposite end, contributing to traffic woes.
Authorities Continue Blame Game
Deputy commissioner of police (Traffic), Ashish Srivastava, also expressed his concerns, stating, “In a meeting with the divisional commissioner, she instructed the municipal commissioner to designate parking spots across the city to alleviate traffic caused by e-rickshaws and autos. It is the responsibility of the LMC to identify these spots,” he emphasised. “Months after the meeting, these spots are yet to be designated,” he lamented.
While Dwivedi acknowledged that the lack of designated routes and enforcement for the 11 banned routes contributes to traffic jams and encroachments in specific areas, he contended that the number of e-rickshaws aligns with the city’s demand. He asserted that managing this situation falls under the purview of the traffic police.
The municipal commissioner stressed, “The LMC lacks the authority to issue fines or licenses to e-rickshaws. We have no power to regulate their movement. Our role is to create designated stands, which we are actively working on.”
