Secretary-general of Bihar Entrepreneurs’ Association Abhishek Singh at the news meet and (above) an e-rickshaw on a city street. Pictures by Nagendra Kumar Singh and Jai Prakash

Swanky e-rickshaws built using Japanese technology could soon hit Bihar streets.

Japan’s Terra Motors, one of the leading manufacturers of electric vehicles (two- and three-wheelers), has planned an e-rickshaw project for the state. Seki Teppai, a top official of the company, would visit Patna on November 3 to discuss the plan with the industry representatives.

Sharing this information with reporters on the sidelines of a news conference on the launch of entrepreneurship campaign “Enterprising Bihar” from November 7, secretary-general of Bihar Entrepreneurs’ Association (BEA) Abhishek Singh said the company had contacted them in this regard.

“The project could be a boon for the state in terms of investments. Seki Teppai is one of the founding directors of the company. He would be visiting Patna on November 3 and hold business talks with us in connection with the e-rickshaw project. The official will also meet the industries department officials. The details of the project would be discussed in the meeting,” Singh said.

Japan’s Terra Motors has its presence in Philippines and Vietnam. The company entered the Indian market with Kiwami electric sports bike in January. It made its presence felt at the four- day Auto Expo in New Delhi in February. The company representatives had earlier said they had plans to invest Rs 300 million in India.

E-rickshaws have become a widely accepted alternative for petrol- or CNG-run three-wheelers in several pockets of the country. Delhi High Court on July 31 had banned the plying of these vehicles on the roads of the national capital, stating that they were a hazard to citizens and traffic.

In October, the Centre notified the rules for the plying of e-rickshaws and made driving licence mandatory for their drivers. They can ply at a maximum speed of 25km per hour.

In Patna, these vehicles were first seen in December last year. Their number has increased over the months but the district transport authority said it had not received any communication from the state government on their plying.

“We cannot tell the exact number of such vehicles plying in Patna at present. The company manufacturing them has to approach the state government first. The transport department would give us direction to issue permits after approving them. Until now, we have not received any direction from the state government in this connection,” said Patna district transport officer Dinesh Kumar.