The rusty, rundown rickshaws residents are used to are getting replaced by new ones. The current models are brightly-coloured, have wider seats and some of them are battery-operated. But while they move nearly three times faster than their predecessors, questions arise on their safety and legality.
The battery-operated rickshaws started appearing in the township in 2015 and are all the rage now. The batteries are fixed in a box under the seats and need to be charged, like a mobile phone, for around 10 hours a day. They also have pedals for the driver to use in case the charge runs out unexpectedly.
The older rickshaws would run at less than 10kmph but the new ones can touch 25kmph. They are made — not by companies but — by small-time mechanics in garages and so the models’ specifications differ as per the maker. The law requires these “e-rickshaws” to be registered but none of them are. Some passengers also find them unsafe.
There is a third kind of rickshaw plying on the streets too — one that looks new but isn’t fitted with batteries. Unlike battery rickshaws, these do not have springs behind them above both wheels. Without the springs, they are often accused of bumpy rides.
What’s good about them
The topmost answer is that they reduce human effort. “I feel better knowing that someone doesn’t have to manually pull the rickshaw now,” says Chandra Guha of EE Block.
The rickshaw-pullers agree whole-heartedly. “I have backache and heart problems and was barely able to draw the cycle rickshaw before,” says Mujibur Rahman of the Tank 10 rickshaw stand. “With the new model, I can earn a decent living without killing myself.”
Biswajit Mondal, from the same rickshaw stand in EE Block, plied the traditional rickshaw for 10 years. “For one day of work, I had to take rest for the next, it was so tiring,” he says. “Now the machine does the pulling,” he smiles, pointing to the batteries under the seat.
Every other “old rickshaw”-puller spoken to said he was saving up or applying for loans to get a battery-operated model.
The new models move faster, saving passengers’ time and allowing pullers to make more trips. “Many passengers want to bypass old rickshaws in the queue to ride new models. It leads to arguments between riders,” says Mondal.
A resident of GD Block, Chandrashekhar Pal, says he prefers new rickshaws as the seats are wider. The new models allow up to four people to sit, counting a foldable seat that opens up behind the driver.
What’s wrong with them
“I rode a new batteryless rickshaw once but the ride was so bumpy that I got a terrible backache. I couldn’t get out of bed the next day. Without springs underneath the seats to absorb the impact, even the smallest jerk took a toll directly on my spine,” says Kaushik Roy, a resident of Hiland Park who came for a visit.
The battery-driven vehicles too have their share of detractors. DC Block’s Suranjan Bonnerjee has sworn off the “e-rickshaws” after one ride. “They are too flimsy to be moving so fast. Now I jump out of the way if I ever see or hear one of them approaching,” he says.
Rupnarayan Bose of BE Block says the new models are a menace. “They are ‘rocket rickshaws’, travelling too fast and following no rules. Some have no headlights, tail lights, reflectors horns or bells, making it impossible for other drivers and pedestrians to prepare for their sudden arrival.
I have been lucky to escape being run over and save my car from colliding with them so far but they need to be given speed limits,” he says.
The rickshaw pullers have safety concerns too. “If we anticipate trouble riding an old rickshaw, we jump off the moving vehicle but the new ones are too fast for that. We aren’t insured either so if we get hurt we would have nowhere to go,” says Yudhishtir Das of the Baisakhi stand.
Kena Mondal of the Tank 10 stand is not satisfied with the brakes of the new models. “It takes a while for the vehicle to come to a halt after applying brakes. This can lead to accidents,” he admits.
But their biggest worry is the short life of the batteries. “I bought my rickshaw a year and a half ago and I’m already on my third set of batteries. They are all Chinese and each set of four batteries costs me Rs 20,000,” says Prasanto Mondal of the Tank 10 stand. The rickshaws cost around Rs 70,000.
The rulebook
Technically, the battery-operated rickshaws are illegal. The law says e-rickshaws are to be registered, have licence plates, insurance and get a fitness certificate to attest that they are safe to be plied. The driver too needs to undergo a 10-day training to learn about possible short circuits, the safe disposal of the batteries etc.
The vehicles are to ply only on routes specified by the District Transport Authority and that the vehicles need to be purchased from manufacturers certified by government agencies like Automobile Regulatory Authority of India (Arai).
But neither the drivers nor the manufacturers know of these rules and District Transport Authority official say they have not been approached by a single e-rickshaw owner for permission.
A senior officer of the Bidhannagar Commisisonerate said that they are aware of the menace but cannot take action against them as they classify neither as motor vehicles nor as certified e-rickshaws. “They have very poor brakes but can travel quite fast. We have received several verbal complaints from motorists about them hitting their cars after failing to halt in time,” said the officer. “We are preparing a traffic map of sorts for our reference and will include these vehicles as they are very much a part of Salt Lake’s transport system now,” said the officer.
Traffic policemen have devised unofficial punishments to teach these drivers a lesson. “If we catch these vehicles taking illegal u-turns or driving recklessly we deflate their tyres. I deflate around five or six a month,” says a traffic policeman at route 206 bus stand. “Also we pull the drivers out of their vehicles and make them manage traffic with us. It makes them miss trips and helps ease our work.”
From the makers’ mouth
The makers of the new rickshaws are mechanics working out of their homes. Bulan Biswas is one such, based out of Gouranganagar behind New Town’s DLF building. “I dropped out of school after Class VII and became a cycle van driver. It was back-breaking work. In 2015, I started making battery-run rickshaws to ease the lives of drivers. The concept worked and I’ve sold around 70 of them to date,” he says, oblivious of any laws governing them.
Biswas makes rickshaws from scratch and does not retrofit batteries on existing rickshaws. “Those are designed to be pedalled and so are very light. Adding batteries can make them topple over,” he says.
Shirazul Islam is another such rickshaw-maker at route 206 bus stand in AJ Block. “I used to make battery-run vans in Barasat but moved here four months ago as demand for rickshaws is huge. I’ve sold five rickshaws for Rs 60,000 each and we’re working on four more,” he says.
Islam’s rickshaws run at no higher than 15kmph as he says he wants them to be safe. Around 10 rickshaws can park nearby to charge overnight, drawing electricity from the pay-and -use toilet. They pay Rs 500 a month for the service.
Meanwhile, Nirmal Dutta, councillor of Ward 38 (Duttabad), says he wants to distribute battery-operated rickshaws to the needy if funds can be raised. “I know there are issues about their permits but that shouldn’t be a problem if they ride the rickshaws in the neighbourhood.”
Anandalok Hospital had donated 105 new (non-electric) rickshaws on Saraswati puja last year. “We had paid Rs 10,000 and the rickshaw drivers had paid Rs 5,000. We hope to repeat the act on Holi this year,” said a spokesperson, adding that the gifted rickshaws have provision for installing batteries.
Rickshaw drivers are themselves pulling strings to upgrade to the new models. “Our Baisakhi stand has 106 rickshaws and 50-60 of us want to switch to e-rickshaws. But before that the administration needs to give us electricity to charge the batteries and also a shed to leave the vehicles to charge all night,” says Das, who has vaguely heard of the vehicles getting licensed in future.
Additional reporting by Snehal Sengupta and Sudeshna Banerjee
