The state government on Wednesday extended the deadline for registering e-rickshaws, popularly known as totos, from November 30 to December 31.

A notification from transport secretary Saumitra Mohan on Wednesday
stated that the deadline extension was prompted by organisations appealing to the government for more
time to register their e-rickshaws past the November 30 deadline.

“Considering the huge number of such vehicles expected to be enrolled/registered... it is felt necessary to extend the time-limit,” the notification says.

A majority of the e-rickshaws plying in and around Calcutta are unregistered contraptions, built clandestinely in garages and therefore not legally allowed to ply, senior transport department officials said.

Registered e-rickshaws are legally documented battery-operated three-wheeled vehicles whose prototypes have received clearance from the Union government for safety, and have been officially registered with the transport department.

In an attempt to bring unauthorised e-rickshaws within a legal framework, the state government said in October that all e-rickshaws will have to register with the transport department, obtain a Temporary Toto Enrolment Number (TTEN) and replace the old vehicles with new authorised e-rickshaws within two years.

“There appears to be some confusion among some e-rickshaw operators about the registration. Our officers are explaining that registration is mandatory in Bengal,” an official said.

Once the unauthorised e-rickshaws receive an enrolment number, the owners will be provided with a QR code containing name, address, area, route and other details. The details will be uploaded to a portal.

Senior officials said the portal will monitor whether more unauthorised vehicles are on the roads.

There was no word on what would happen if some e-rickshaw operators did
not register by the end of December.