Social welfare minister Akon Bora rides a battery-operated eco-friendly rickshaw. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, July 10: The common rickshaw is now available in a sparkling new avatar — with accelerators in place of pedals and powered by a battery that powers the wheels for 80km after just six hours of charging.

The rickshaw, which Assam social welfare minister Akon Bora unveiled at the showroom of the makers, Ram Electronics and Equipment, at Patharquarry here today, comes with a high price tag of Rs 99,000.

Ranjita Pegu, a fashion designer with boutiques here and in New Delhi, introduced the technology in Assam after she saw a battery-operated rickshaw in Agra.

“I keep travelling to New Delhi on business and during one such trip to Agra, I saw a battery-operated rickshaw, which is very popular there. Seeing its efficiency and performance, I thought of bringing the technology to Assam where rickshaws are still a common mode of transport. I approached Ram Electronics and Equipment to discuss the technology and how it can be used here. The owners of the company liked my idea and we went on to procure parts from New Delhi and then assembled the rickshaws here,” Ranjita said.

“The rickshaw operates using a motor and four batteries that need to be charged. A six-hour charge can make it run for 80km. The batteries are placed under the passenger seat and connected to the motor that drives the wheels. The charger is placed under the driver’s seat. The rickshaw can be driven like a scooter by changing gears located on the handles,” she said.

Ranjita had initially unveiled the rickshaw at Bongaigaon and decided to launch it here after it received good response in the lower Assam town. The rickshaw has succeeded in catching the fancy of people here and though only seven rickshaws are currently on display at the showroom, bookings have already been made for 21.

The question, however, remains whether a common rickshaw-puller will be able to afford the pricey vehicle.

“We are trying to tie up with certain banks so that customers can avail loans to purchase it. Discussions with the banks are on though nothing has been finalised yet,” Ranjita said.