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Mumbai unions to oppose entry of e-rickshaws

City rickshaw unions are apprehensive that e-rickshaws- which the state government is about to clear as approved vehicles- will be given a status at par with autorickshaws. This will allow e-rickshaws to proliferate in the city, fear unions.

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City rickshaw unions are apprehensive that e-rickshaws- which the state government is about to clear as approved vehicles- will be given a status at par with autorickshaws. This will allow e-rickshaws to proliferate in the city, fear unions.

Currently, about 30,000 lapsed permits are lying with the state department for the next round of lottery. These permits include around 4900-odd from Andheri RTO and 4300-odd from Wadala RTO, which could not be given out previously due to a host of technical hitches.

Thampi Kurien of the Mumbai Rickshawmen's Union said, "We will oppose it tooth and nail because the entry of e-rickshaws will harm the normal trade. Moreover these are vehicles with absolutely no safety when it comes to Mumbai's roads. If need be, we will go to court against it."

Replying to a query on whether e-rickshaws would be included in the next batch of rickshaw permits that would be put up for lottery, whenever that is, additional chief secretary Gautam Chatterjee said, "Can't say now. The government has yet to decide on e-rickshaws."

State transport officials have been debating on how to weave the e-rickshaw into the current rickshaw and taxi set-up. A letter written on February 3 by deputy transport commissioner PD Nikam to Chatterjee talks of these issues. The letter mentions the need to decide on whether e-rickshaws can be bought on the same permits that govern normal CNG rickshaws. It also highlights the fact that e-rickshaws, with a maximum speed of 25 kilometres per hour, could be a major traffic hindrance on highways and arterial roads.

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