Chandigarh Administration may ban e-rickshaws on Madhya, Dakshin Marg

Amit Sharma

Chandigarh, June 30

To address the increasing number of e-rickshaws in the city, the UT Administration is considering limiting their number and designating specific routes for them. The Administration may not allow these vehicles to ply on major roads such as V1 (connecting Chandigarh to other towns), V2 (Madhya Marg and Dakshin Marg) and V7 (cycle tracks).

This issue was discussed during a meeting of the District Road Safety Committee (DRSC) held in May. It was chaired by the Deputy Commissioner.

The chairman directed the State Transport Authority (STA) and Traffic Police to identify specific routes for e-rickshaws and restrict their entry to V1, V2 and V7 roads. He also instructed them to collaboratively develop a detailed proposal on this issue.

Harman Sidhu, president of NGO Arrive Safe, who was part of the meeting, said the number and movement of e-rickshaws needed to be regulated.

“These vehicles impact traffic flow primarily because drivers stop anywhere and their slow speed on busy roads like Madhya Marg and Dakshin Marg disrupts traffic movement,” he added.

The DSP, Traffic (R&D and Road Safety), Jaswinder Singh, during the meeting, highlighted the need to cap the number of e-rickshaws in the city.

The DSP Traffic (Admn and South Zone) Harjit Kaur also mentioned that while a notification from the UT Administration states that e-rickshaw registrations may be regulated annually, it lacks details on carrying capacity, necessitating a cap on their number.

The chairman said the current number of e-rickshaws registered in the RLA exceeded public demand.

A proposal for designating specific pick-up and drop-off points for auto rickshaws, similar to bus queue shelters, was discussed. Harman Sidhu raised concerns about auto drivers using black sheets that obscure visibility inside the vehicles. The DSP, Traffic (R&D), said the STA would decide on the legality of using transparent sheets. The SSP, Traffic and Security, Sumer Paratap Singh, highlighted that serious criminal activities on board auto-rickshaws had been reported and the issue needed to be addressed.