A similar decision was taken last year as well, to help curb traffic chaos. But so far the situation remains unchanged.
The transport department of Gautam Budh Nagar is planning to initiate registration of e-rickshaws from March. The decision comes in the light of a rapid, unregulated increase in the number of e-rickshaws in Noida, which can currently ply without registrations. This leads to unaccountable rash driving and other traffic violations.
Officers of the transport department will meet BN Singh, district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar about the issue. They hope the move will make the vehicles more accountable.
AK Pandey, ARTO administration, said that currently, e-rickshaws have a free run, according to the Motor Vehicles Act, and, unlike other commercial vehicles, do not need registrations or permits. They also do not have to pay taxes.
Officials said that once the plan was initiated, e-rickshaw owners would have to register their vehicles at the ARTO office in Noida. They would, however, not require permits.
According to officials, due to the absence of a registration process, it becomes difficult to initiate action against erring drivers, who often resort to rash driving, illegal parking and other traffic violations. These vehicles, which generally provide last-mile connectivity from Metro stations and bus stops, have also become a major reason for traffic congestion in the city. “On being registered, the vehicles and their owners can be easily identified and action can then be initiated against them,” officials said.
Interestingly, Noida's traffic police, in a meeting on June 14, 2017, which also involved District Magistrate BN Singh, had announced that e-rickshaw drivers would need to register their vehicles with the RTO, and that no illegal vehicle would be allowed to ply on Noida's roads. This was last year. The situation remains the same today.
So the question is, is this really the solution to congestion-free, smooth traffic in the district?
