India went Green on World Environment Day, 2017, with the launch of first fleet of five e-rickshaws on Monday between Vaishali metro station and Ghaziabad. This e-rickshaw will help in the last minute connectivity to metro commuters in Delhi. 610 such vehicles are expected to be incorporated at eight operational metro stations for the last-mile connectivity within a radius of 3km to 4km around Metro stations in Noida and Ghaziabad within a year. "After the successful run in NCR, services on similar format will be replicated in Delhi too, subject to the feasibility," a DMRC spokesperson said.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) managing director Dr Mangu Singh flagged of the first set of e-rickshaws from the DMRC headquarters at Metro Bhawan. “The DMRC tries to incorporate eco-friendly initiatives in all its spheres of functioning. So, ensuring a dedicated e-rickshaw service at metro stations will enable commuters to use non-polluting public transport modes over personal vehicles,” Dr Singh said.
At present, the area in Delhi-NCR is mushrooming with unorganised transport mediums for connectivity between the metro stations which not only block the entry-exit points of metro stations but also contribute negatively towards polluting the environment. At present, DMRC is operating 291 feeder buses on 42 routes connecting 54 metro stations in Delhi.
The Features of the E-Rickshaw
The e-rickshaws all set to provide the last-mile connectivity within 3-4km around the stations have the following features:
- The e-rickshaws have a covered cabin and a full-front windscreen.
- The vehicles are also fitted with CCTV cameras and GPS to ensure added safety for passengers, especially women commuters.
- The issue of fare, availability of charging points, etc., are being finalised with the e-rickshaw operators.
- The e-rickshaw service will operate as per Metro train timings — from 6 am to 11 pm.
- Smart cards are being planned for travel in the e-rickshaws too, but till now no decision has been taken in this regard.
- Commuters in Noida and Ghaziabad can also avail of relevant information on helpline number 011-39595468.
