Coming: Feeder e-ricks to Metro

Soon, battery operated rickshaws popularly known as e-rickshaws will bridge the gap between your home and the nearest metro station.

Soon, battery operated rickshaws popularly known as e-rickshaws will bridge the gap between your home and the nearest metro station.

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As a part of its plan to introduce multi-modal- feeder system to boost the last-mile connectivity for its lakhs commuters, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is planning to introduce e-rickshaw feeder service in addition to its massive expansion plans of its feeder bus network.

DMRC has invited Expression of Interest (EOI) for starting eco-friendly e-rickshaws from its Chattarpur Metro station as a pilot project. As per the conditions, DMRC will provide only the area for construction of infrastructure. The operator will make its own arrangement for electricity to run the rickshaws.

"The e-rickshaws would be introduced at Chattarpur metro station by early next year," said Anuj Dayal, spokesperson of DMRC adding,"subsequently, they will be introduced in some other metro stations, especially those connecting residential colonies."

Officials said that e-rickshaws would be put in service to provide feeder connectivity to its metro stations from interior locations.

Delhi Metro is presently working out a feasibility study to finalise the stations where the feeder e-rickshaw service would be a boon to the commuters. Officials said that stations near residential colonies where transportation facilities are inadequate would be given preference.

The feeder rickshaws would have the DMRC logo embossed on them and commuters would be issued tickets. "Once the service provider is chosen through tender process, we will workout a fare chart so that metro commuters cannot be cheated by the rickshaw pullers," said a DMRC official.

Meanwhile, by the middle of next year, DMRC would also introduce 300 new feeder buses to operate on 70 approved routes.

In consultation with Delhi Government, the process of selection of the cluster operator for 300 non AC Mini feeder buses, in three clusters of 100 buses each, has been completed and awarded to Rajdhani Bus Cluster Service, said DMRC.

"The feeder e-rickshaws and buses would also be introduced in many stations to be constructed under ongoing phase 3. Keeping the plan in mind, we are also designing our Phase 3 Metro stations in such a manner that the main entries to the stations will have circulating areas for the movement of these vehicles," Dayal said.