ANNOUNCEMENTS
E-rickshaws are increasingly becoming an integral part of the public transport system in many Indian cities. They act as a feeder to mass transport modes like metros and buses in Tier-I cities and serve as the primary mode of transport in smaller cities. However, in most cases, e-rickshaws are not planned inclusions in the city’s transport system. Driving an e-rickshaw does not require technical expertise, thus attracting unskilled workers to shift to e-rickshaws. Like many other Tier-II cities e-rickshaws have gained popularity in Durgapur also. This study assessed the socio-economic background of e-rickshaw drivers, existing regulatory mechanism for e-rickshaws, and identified the challenges faced by e-rickshaw drivers. This study also involved a brief case study of the e-rickshaw operations in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) to understand the operations of e-rickshaw and their regulation. Field surveys were conducted to collect data from e-rickshaw drivers. Interactions were done with government authorities & financial institutes to understand existing the regulatory and financial mechanisms. It was found that due to the unregulated status of e-rickshaws in the city, drivers and owners were facing certain operational and financial challenges. A set of recommendations to improve e-rickshaw operations in Durgapur were proposed based on the problems that were identified.
Keywords– E-rickshaw, Regulatory Mechanism, Battery as a Service, E-rickshaw subsidy, Total Cost of Ownership.
