Women-driven e-rickshaws to be deployed in Puducherry's Boulevard for last-mile connectivity
The Transport Department has procured 38 white-and-blue e-rickshaws, which will be operated by the Puducherry Municipality in the Boulevard area to enhance last-mile connectivity. The fleet is scheduled to be launched next week.
E-rickshaws, which are popular in Delhi, Jaipur and Udaipur, are not only efficient and environment friendly, but also a cheap mode of transport, officials said.
Four charging stations — two each at the Mairie building, where the Puducherry Municipality office is located, and the Old Port — are being set up for the vehicles. Additionally, 15 charging points are proposed at a permanent site belonging to the municipality in Dubryapet.
Powered by lithium-ion technology, the e-rickshaw offers increased savings, superior ride quality, and comfort for drivers and passengers. The zero-emission vehicle can travel up to 85 km on a single charge.
'With a view to include women in the green mobility landscape in the city, the Transport Department has identified around 150 women and issued driving licences to them. The municipality has trained around 38 women drivers to drive the electric rickshaws. The rides can be booked through an app,' Transport Commissioner A.S. Sivakumar said.
He added, 'The penetration of intermediary public transport is very low, especially in the Boulevard area. With limited options for mobility, the government has introduced e-rickshaws. These battery-operated vehicles have multiple benefits and can easily navigate the narrow roads in the French and Tamil quarters in the Boulevard area. The vehicle can carry four passengers and can run 85 km on full charge.'
Initially, five e-rickshaws will be rolled out, and the rest will be introduced in a phased manner.
The Transport Department has framed procedural guidelines for licensing/registration and grant of permit for the e-rickshaws to provide affordable transport to senior citizens, women, and children for last-mile connectivity.
The introduction of e-rickshaws is aimed at empowering women and providing them with a secure means of livelihood, officials said.
While the department will be responsible for the fare notification, the operation and maintenance of the vehicles will be borne by the municipality. The running cost per km will be considerably lower when compared to petrol/diesel powered vehicles.
The fleet of rickshaws have a uniform colour code and are painted with main tourist attractions in the city, including the beach, Aayi Mandapam, and Gandhi Thidal.
They will have GPS facility to link to an exclusive mobile app with QR code for easy trip booking. The link will also be connected to a monitoring centre at the Transport Deportment. The vehicles will be under the control of the municipality, and the local body will work out the revenue sharing formula.
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