STUDY OF EMERGING PARATRANSIT SERVICE E-rickshaw and its larger implications on Delhi’s cityscape GROUP - 11 A. S. Saaral Aanchal Khandelwal Abrar Zargar E.S. Shruthi Siva Harun Vignesh Sarvesh Kumar
ABSTRACT Mobility is an important characteristic of any city life and the paratransit modes have been playing an important role in the networking of a city like delhi owing to their flexible operation type. They are characterised by their low carrying capacity, specific function group and their specific area of operation. E-rickshaws play a crucial role in the field of paratransit. Over the last decade it has picked pace to become one of the most popular modes of last mile connectivity. This research paper aims to understand the circumstances under which a new mode of paratransit (like E-rickshaw) is introduced into a city like Delhi, how the city evolves due to it and the impacts of such a new mode on the other existing mode of transport.
OVERVIEW What is a paratransit mode? ● Paratransit modes are the modes of transport that do not have a fixed schedule or route and are thus flexible. ● It provides last-mile connectivity as they ply between residential areas and public transport access points, primarily metro stations,charging an affordable price (low flat fare 10 to 20 per person) from the commuter. ● They cater to huge latent and unmet demand for mobility, especially for shorter distances and access and egress trips. Paratransit system has transformed and evolved over time. In Delhi, cycle rickshaws were introduced in 1940 as a less exploitative form of transport and an improvement over hand-pulled rickshaws. Cycle rickshaw’s play an important role in the unorganised sector of transportation trying to meet the needs of urban population and their own economic and employment needs.(Kishwar, 2009).1960 onwards the demand for and the number of plying rickshaws grew manifold. And yet again we are now seeing a major change of paratransit mode in the form of E-rickshaw. These are technologically advanced and are much easier to commute. They are also considered to be an environmentally friendly mode of Paratransit as they have no tail-pipe emissions like other motor vehicles and can be charged from electricity. E-rickshaws were introduced during the Commonwealth Games 2010 for the last / first mile connectivity to the residential areas, where they were portrayed as sustainable future of transport and its popularity picked up from there.(Government of India 2015) The government planned to regulate and tax them after the games. Yet there are no reports on the operation status of E-rickshaw till 2014 (Singh S. 2014) In 2014, BJP govt. introduced Deen Dayal E-rickshaw Scheme
for regularization of e-rickshaws without safety testing.(Harding, S., 2017) The number of these e-rickshaws has increased manifold from about 4,000 in 2010 to around 100,000 in 2014 (Delhi Traffic Police, 2015). b ut a large percentage of such vehicles are still unregistered. There are only 29,123 registered E-rickshaws from April 2013 to March 2017 as per Delhi government records.(Centre of Civil Society, CCS). A primary study by Manushi Sangathan (NGO) revealed that the office goers and the middle class people prefer to travel by this mode for distance upto 2-4 kms and in the outskirts of delhi these may even run upto 6-8kms from the metro station (Manushi Sangathan, 2009). Yet despite the popularity there have been serious cases of safety violations and the resulting accidents led to a petition to be filed asking them to be banned in 2014. There is a need to study the effect of non regularisation on the functioning of a paratransit mode. The government has proposed various scheme and funding policies for the future growth of E-rickshaw, including the mudra scheme (loans from national banks). Delhi has some policies frameworks and amendments for regularization as identification of routes and banning on some routes according to the hierarchy of the roads. Also, the e-rickshaw sewa scheme provides help for the new buyers in licensing process along with provisions of subsidies for economic upliftment.(Singh S. 2014). Various other policies like the pradhaan mantri mudra yojana (PMMY), Fame India and the delhi government subsidy scheme are other ways by which the government is promoting E-rickshaw under the ‘green energy’ banner.(Clean Energy Ministerial, 2017). F rom these it can be seen that the government is backing E-rickshaw to be a major modal share in the future. This research paper aims to understand how the informal sector of transportation works (taking the example of E-rickshaw), under what circumstances they are introduced in a city and what promotes its development or failure. It also tries to understand how the different support systems of government work in the case of informal sector and understand the politics behind the selective regulation of some mode of paratransit as these in its entirety changes the functioning and the dynamics of the city. Through this research, we would try to analyse and understand what the future of new paratransit system would be, in a city like Delhi.
BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE INTRODUCTION AND EMERGENCE E-rickshaws offer sustainable mode of first/last mile connectivity to and fro origin and destination to the commuters.There presence and operation in Delhi was initially a planned introduction by the government in 2010 (Government of India 2015) to provide last mile connectivity during commonwealth game, with an objective to bring a more eco friendly yet modern mode of transport as compared to conventional cycle rickshaw. THE NEED OF ELECTRIC RICKSHAWS After public transportation, the paratransit modes attend the needs of first and last mile connectivity which are either Intermediate Public Transport ( IPTs)/Non-Motorized Public Transport (NMT)/Auto-rickshaws. Out of which non motorised like cycle rickshaws require human effort and cover short distances while autorickshaws consume fossil fuel and cause pollution. Here, the E-rickshaws which are battery operated come into the power a solution, “Thus they are the low hanging fruits in electric mobilization adaptation due to lower lifecycle cost.”(Deloitte, 2019 Recharging India’s electric vehicle ambitions by electrifying public transport)
BATTERY RICKSHAW SUBSTITUTION (H arding, S., 2017)
INDIA ELECTRIC RICKSHAW MARKET OVERVIEW The Indian electric rickshaw market is projected to reach 935.5 thousand units by 2024, registering a CAGR (Compound annual growth rate) of 15.9% during the forecast period. Due to environmental awareness, government incentives, and low investment than an auto-rickshaw, pleasing daily earnings than cycle rickshaws. thus, there is more attraction towards the market. (P&S Intelligence January 2019) THE IMPORTANCE OF E-RICKSHAW - COMMUTER AND OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE An E-rickshaw makes trips ranging from less than 5km to up to more than 10km. Even though the major part (88%) consist of trips shorter than 5km. A rickshaw generates income at the rate of 13Rs per kilometre. The E-rickshaw operators on an average earn about Rs 800 per day. A survey by Manushi Sangathan revealed that the monthly income of the drivers ranges from about Rs.6000 to Rs.30000. About 11% of the operators earn less than Rs.10000 per month while 80% drivers have an income range of Rs.15000 to Rs.30000. Hence E-Rickshaw should not be only viewed just as a means of transport, It is to be seen as a mode for reducing unemployment, pollution, fuel consumption. The important role of E-rickshaws as a paratransit mode cannot be denied. At the same time, we cannot overlook the issues they are causing - the sudden growth which was quite unregulated and other concerns related to the safety and security of the riders. Hence, there is a dire need for regulations. UNREGULATED GROWTH AND SAFETY HAZARD After the sudden uprise in the number and then later the number of e-rickshaws spread in an unplanned basis in the city with time due to deficiency of regulation and strict implementation. Safety standards provided by ARAI have to be complied for manufacturing approved models of e-rickshaws which operate on roads after registration. The existing laws aren't implemented strictly thus, major problems and issues on roads occur. A survey done by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives ICLEI safety facts
● 94% operators feel that e-rickshaws are safe for drivers and commuters ● 63% commuters feel that e-rickshaws are safe, rest 37% feel it is unsafe. ● 70% dealers consider e-rickshaws safe if manufactured with safety compliance. ● Unregulated operation is considered unsafe and may lead to accidents. As the maximum 4 number of passengers allowed in e-rickshaws but overcrowding is quite a common scene as they carry 5-6 passengers which leads to accidents due to heavy loading. (I CLEI , 2019) MANUFACTURERS AND ASSEMBLY UNITS E-rickshaw manufacturers in India may be categorised as under: 1. Licensed manufacturers: These manufacturers are licensed to manufacture e-rickshaws in India. These usually manufacture all e-rickshaw parts and comply with safety standards. Under Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) Egs. Include Hero, OK Play, Goenka, Mahindra, etc. E-rickshaw price ranging from 1.1 lakh 2. Licensed assemblers: These include manufacturers which import parts from other countries or from other companies but the models are usually standard compliant. Vehicle body, controller, motor and engine are imported while tyre, batteries and chargers may be available locally. 3. Local assemblers/garages: These are local assemblers operating in garages /local markets with no license to manufacture e-rickshaws. These e-rickshaws models may utilise low quality parts or retrofit models. These usually are unable to comply with safety standards. Low cost of these models as compared to compliant model (cost difference of about INR 60,000- INR 80,000 i.e. almost 70% - 90%) attracts the operators. E-rickshaws are which are manufactured/assembled in India after the models are approved by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) But despite of prevailing rules and safety standards, a large number of manufacturers still assemble parts imported from neighboring countries (mainly China) or utilise low quality parts manufactured locally. (ARAI) These unregistered e-rickshaws do not comply with the safety standards. There is no exact estimate of the total number of e-rickshaw manufacturers in India. A study by TERI (2018) stated that there are about 340 e-rickshaw manufacturers in Delhi but not all or very less are of the compliant with ARAI standards. VEHICLE CHARGING FACILITIES AND NEEDS As e-rickshaws are battery operated, these carry limited on board energy. These batteries need to be charged on a regular basis operational viability of a charging system depends on quantum of vehicles charged daily. Charging systems are thus essential requirements for sustainable operation. These e-rickshaws lack authorised charging facilities. The charging infrastructure available can be classified into the following categories (Prasanth.K and Mukund.K, 2014): ● Public charging station on public domain (e.g. metro stations, parking areas) ● Public charging on private domain (e.g. shopping malls) ● Semi-public charging station on public or private domains (e.g. hotels, business parking for
visitors, etc.) ● Privately accessible charging station (e.g. home or private charging points). In Delhi, the drivers charge their vehicles at their houses or the market. These shops charge a daily amount of Rs.100 to 150 per rickshaw. The rickshaws can be put on charging overnight and also during lunch hours of the drivers. The Government issued a notification on 31 August 2017 allowing the e-rickshaw operators to charge their vehicles at a domestic level. (Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission 31 August 2017)
SITE SELECTION 1. DELHI UNIVERSITY NORTH CAMPUS - INSTITUTIONAL AREA Delhi University, North Campus is the hub of students and at the Vishwavidyalaya metro it’s impossible for anyone to escape the hordes of e-rickshaw waalas. These provide the connectivity of the whole campus from the major junctions with the largest concentration of short distance connections. 2. CHANDINI CHOWK - MARKET AND TOURISM AREA Old delhi and its narrow lanes loaded informal services and lots of congestion of vehicles. The place has competition between cycle and E-rickshaws for the passenger from the major junction area. The E-rickshaws service ply on major roads whereas the cycle rickshaw serves to the most internal places. 3. NEW DELHI RAILWAY METRO - TRANSPORT HUB New Delhi railway station is a major transportation hub for inter city and state travels, the user group is a mix of the delhi residents, tourists and other travellers. The paratransit modes are important for providing connectivity for people with luggage. Nearby destinations include the markets, residential areas, hotels or lodges and offices.
4. INA DELHI HAAT - MARKET AND RESIDENTIAL AREA The INA Delhi haat is an important commercial and residential place near AIIMS Delhi. The cycle rickshaw and E-rickshaw are in competition to serve the passengers most usually from the metro station. The cycle rickshaw ferry individual of two members a short distance upto the Delhi Haat, while E-rickshaws ferry on sharing basis even up to the residential complexes.
5. JASOLA CHARGING STATION A privately owned charging station for charging e-rickshaws is present in Jasola. In the corner of his land, he has made a covered space with 50 charging spots for e-rickshaw drivers to charge their vehicles at Rs. 80 a day, for any number of hours. The e-rickshaw drivers generally charge their vehicle twice a day, for a total of 10-12 hours. On an average, the e-rickshaw drivers charged their vehicle for 8-10 hours at night and 2-3 hours in the afternoon. This charge usually lasts for around 70 kilometres.
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS TIMELINE OF E-RICKSHAWS IN DELHI
● Introduction in Delhi - 2010 E-rickshaws were first seen in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games (2010) (Government of India, 2015). T he Municipal Corporation of Delhi launched them to resolve the issue of last mile connectivity, mainly in five areas – Greater Kailash II, Saket, IIT-SDA, DU-North Campus, and Chandni Chowk. (Khanna et al., n.d. 2016) ● Legalisation of E-rickshaws on 17 June 2014 The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways legalised E-Rickshaws through the proposed Deen dayal E-Rickshaw Scheme.(Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, 19 June 2014). N itin Gadkari, the then transport Minister proposed to legalise the E-rickshaw in Delhi by increasing the legal power output of NMV upto 650W without any safety analysis Harding, S., 2014). ● E-rickshaws banned in NCT Delhi On 7 July 2014, Supreme Court issued a notice to the Government to ban e-rickshaws as they were not authorised by rule 126 of the Motor Vehicle Rules. It was stated that the power of the battery was more than the exempted limit of 250 watts and speed up to 25 kmph. E-rickshaws were banned on the roads of Delhi by the Delhi High Court on 31 July 2014 saying ‘prima facie that are a hazard to other traffic as well as citizens’ (High Court of Delhi W.P. (C) 5764/2013 & CM No.10017/2014 Shanawaz Khan and MCD) ● Involvement of local government (Motor Vehicles Act) Union road transport ministry sent an advisory to state governments in August 2014, to involve local municipal bodies in framing rules regarding driving license, speed limit, design and other specifications The first amendment Motor Vehicles Act made on October 8, 2014. The amendment limited the maximum number of passengers to four, excluding the driver, raised the maximum net power of its motor from 250 W to 2,000 W and restricted the maximum speed of the vehicle to 25 km/h. Driving licenses were also made mandatory to drive an E-Rickshaw. A second amendment was issued on January 13, 2015 which specified the minimum training period and certification required and the need for road worthiness and sale certificate to be issued by the manufacturer/dealer/registered association. The notification upheld that the manufacturer or E-Rickshaw association has to get the vehicle tested and approved by a laboratory authorized by BIS. Regarding the topic of E-Rickshaws, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2015 came out in March 2015. This states that the conditions for issuing driver licenses for e-carts or E-Rickshaws shall be prescribed by the central government also provides for the central government to make Rules on: (i) the specifications for e-carts and E-Rickshaws (ii) the manner and conditions for issuing driving licenses. ● Delhi transport department launches E-rickshaw Sewa Scheme E-rickshaw sewa scheme was launched by Delhi Transport Ministry in 2014 to
regulate and control the authorisation of newly modified e-rickshaws which were brought before October 2014, according to the new rules notified through amendments in the Motor Vehicles Act. Also, this scheme also included permit conditions (Transport department govt. Of NCT of Delhi) ● Return of e-rickshaws on Delhi roads In March 2015 the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill was cleared establishing battery-powered e-rickshaws as a valid form of commercial transport which were prescribed to clear a set of safety test and provided the owner registers it. (Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill 2015) ● Delhi Electric Vehicles policy, 2018 This policy had an objective to reduce emissions by adoption of battery vehicles and investing in 25% of new vehicle registrations as battery operated by 2023. Thus, creating new jobs in fields related to EVs (driving, selling, financing, charging, etc.) (Transport department govt. Of NCT of Delhi 2 018) MANUFACTURE AND SAFETY ASPECTS There have been quite some speculation of road safety and the responsibility in case of any accidents in the case of e-rickshaws. When they were introduced in 2010 they were introduced without any safety tests or standards. Over the years, the absence of any regulation authority and safety guidelines made this mode quite popular alternative to auto rickshaws (cheaper, easier to operate, didn't need any registration, and there was no traffic laws pertaining to it) Following this as it began to grow as a major modal share, it became common for political leaders to lobby using them as voting blocks. As Harding, in his research paper points out, “In june 2014 the new Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, announced a formalisation scheme for battery rickshaws at a large rally in New Delhi organised by a drivers’ union. Under the proposal “deen dayal scheme” he wanted to classify the upto 650w as NMV posing serious safety issues.”(Harding, S., 2014) These point out to the political lobbying and other aspects towards the newer schemes. Moreover multiple tests reveal that these rickshaws which run without authorisation are a threat to road safety as revealed by TERI organisation in its report The report revealed that out of 53 rickshaws tested 47 did not meet the regularization standard and thus were running illegally. The tests were run based on vehicle parameter, operational parameter and lifecycle parameter (13 parameters in total). (TERI. 2014. Study on electric rickshaws in Delhi by the Transport department, Govt. of NCT of Delhi) The ruling proposed two main points on the basis of manufacture standpoint - 1. The government should consider regularisation the manufacture of these vehicles to bring about standardisation and uniformity in design. 2. The Government needs to address the issue of safe disposal of e-rickshaw battery and use clean energy sources for charging e-rickshaw considering the average life of a battery is 6-8 months. (Shanawaz Khan vs Municipal Corporation Of Delhi on 9 September, 2014) (Singh, S 2014) rickshaws are imported into the country from countries like China, in CKD (Completely Knocked Down) form, or CBU ( Completely Built-Up Units) after paying a high amount
of import duty. These rickshaws are then assembled here, and the various components are put together to form the final product. Not only the price rises up by 125% but also the assembly units are not authorised and rarely have any safety standards. Also, since the majority of e-rickshaws are unregistered, the commuters assume that they can’t claim for an insurance in case of any injury.
THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN REGULATION AND INTERVENTION Licensing procedure of E-rickshaws involves the approval of driving licence of the driver which was not the case before hand. Also now with the government intervention each rickshaw must either be renewing the older vehicle or get a new one.The reason that there still exists a number of unauthorised E-rickshaw is that the government failed to provide a proper transition system to change the E-rickshaw. This is primarily attributed to the tedious and expensive process involved. A clearance certificate for the vehicle from the transport department, which can be procured only after modifying the e-rickshaws in line with the models cleared by International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT) is a prerequisite for registration. However, this calls for an additional spending of Rs 32,000 – 40,000 on the vehicles which is seen as a heavy burden by the drivers. Those who managed to get the retrofitting done have long waiting period before their registration documents arrive. This not only increased the instances of bribes to the authorities but compelled others to run their vehicles unregistered. A subsidy scheme for e-rickshaw drivers as financial assistance of Rs 15,000 was launched by the Delhi government for registered vehicles. However, as per our survey, only 123 out of 220 e-rickshaws (56%) were registered. In fact, by February 2016 only 4,600 e-rickshaws were registered.(ITPD, 2009). It has been recently increased to Rs.30000 for the registered rickshaws bought after 2016. It was declared that a total of about 6000 applicants will get the subsidy. As per our survey, 74% electric rickshaw drivers receive loans from the informal sector at an interest rate of 12-16%. The absence of customised finance schemes to minimise interest rates and ease the formalities in government Policies as part of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana distributed 5,100 e-rickshaws, linked to the Ola app and expected to offer online payment facility to customers. These e-rickshaw drivers required a valid driving licence, vehicle registration and route permits from transport department to ply the vehicles. As e-rickshaws are available cheaper than the price quoted (between INR160,000 to 170,000) neither the new buyers nor those who already own a vehicle had shown interest in the scheme. Cycle rickshaws - Following the PMO‘s directions, MCD drafted a new policy in 2001 for “scientific management”, which divided the city into 12 zones and further sub-categorized them into Green, Yellow and Red zones. Rickshaws had free access to the green zone, they could enter the yellow zone with a fee, and were completely prohibited from operating within the red zone. MCD issues a
restricted number of licenses in each zone and the cycle rickshaws holding such licenses are entitled to operate only in the concerned zone.
MOTOR VEHICLE ACT OF 1988 WITH ITS RECENT AMENDMENT OF 2015 (Motor Vehicles Bill 1960 & Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill 2015) As of July 2014, the battery rickshaws were not registered by the Transport Department of Government of N.C.T. of Delhi, and were unregulated in the city. According to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Motor Vehicles Rules, 1993, vehicles with a motor power less than 250W and speed less than 25 kmph are not considered as motorized vehicles and were exempted from the rules. On 24 April 2014, the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways issued a notification that rendered these vehicles illegal, but the notification was annulled after a statement by the then Minister for Road, Transport and Highways Mr. Nitin Gadkari in June, 2014 where he stated that the new rules were being drafted to govern the e-rickshaws which would come into force from August-September, 2014. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was passed in the Lok Sabha on 18th December, 2014. It was pending in the Rajya Sabha. Based on the said Bill, an Ordinance, namely, the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 (2 of 2015) was promulgated by the President on 7th January, 2015 The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways had amended the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 by inserting the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2015 to include specifications regarding manufacture, operation, registration, permit exemption and issue of driving license to e-rickshaw drivers under CMVRs.
Key Features Of Amendment Bill ● It defines an E-cart or E-rickshaw as a “special purpose battery powered vehicle of power not exceeding 4000 watts, having three wheels for carrying goods or passengers, as the case may be, for hire or reward, manufactured, constructed or adapted, equipped and maintained in accordance with such specifications, as may be prescribed in this behalf.” ● The Bill exempts drivers of e-rickshaw and e-cart from the requirement of learner’s licence. ● The Bill gives powers to Union government to make Rules on the specifications for e-carts and e-rickshaws, and the conditions and manner for issuing driving licenses. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN THE FORM OF POLICIES AND SUBSIDY 1. National Electric Mobility Mission, 2020 The mission focused to promote the use and production of electric operated vehicles in india to achieve fuel sustainability and security. It has a set target of 5-6 million electric/hybrid vehicle sales in India by the year 2020. (Press Information Bureau 10 March 2015) 2. Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana 2015
This scheme was launched on 8th april 2015 to ‘fund the unfunded’ by central government which allows the people who want to take small loans for the purchase of e-rickshaws from PSU’s. (Micro units Development and Refinance Agency) 3. Fame India, 2015 Faster Adoption of Electric/Hybrid Vehicle was announced on 8th April 2015 by the Government of India under National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020. a. Fame I : This was to provide subsidies on the purchase of E-rickshaws which are authorised and legal. b. Fame II : Announced on 28 February 2019 by the Government of India, proposed to be implemented from 1 April 2019. This included sanction for setting up of charging stations. (Ministry of Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises, Department of Heavy Industry 27 April 2015) 4. Central Taxi Policy, 2016 As e-rickshaws served the city for shared last mile connectivity to major public transportation system, but these ply on major roads unnecessarily so in order to have a better model of urban mobility there movement was restricted in specific areas due to the traffic accumulation and differential speed of the vehicle. (Report of the committee constituted to propose taxi policy guidelines to promote urban mobility, 2016) (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, December 2016) 5. Subsidy Scheme Delhi government provided subsidies to the registered vehicle owners for providing better conditions for them. It provides 15,000 subsidy to owners of e-rickshaw whose vehicle is registered INR15000 (for those purchased before 2016 and INR30000 (for e-rickshaws purchased after 2016). INR 6,000 subsidy is provided by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (Transport department govt. Of NCT of Delhi) 6. E-rickshaw Sewa Scheme, 2014 (T ransport Department, NCT, Delhi. 29/12/2014) D elhi government launched new E-Rickshaw Sewa Scheme on December 29, 2014 and brought out its procedural guidelines for licensing/ registration/ fitness/ grant of permit of rickshaw on February 3, 2015.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. Why were E-rickshaws introduced into the transport framework of Delhi? What were the motive and under what conditions were they introduced? 2. What are the operational characteristics of E-rickshaws and what are the unique advantages that E-rickshaw offer? 3. What are the larger impacts in the cityscape with the introduction of E-rickshaw? 4. Do the regulations and policies involving e-rickshaws hinder the development of other paratransit modes or promote an equitable development? 5. Why aren’t many of the government schemes reaching the e-rickshaw operators? Are
the operators aware of all the policies and schemes? 6. Is E-rickshaw an economically and environmentally better option than other paratransit modes of similar calibre? 7. What are the strategies other paratransit modes adapt, to strive in the presence of newer modes of transit and what are the changes in their mode of operation over the years? 8. What is the importance of recognition and formalisation in the informal transport sectors and what is the impact on the operational characteristics of E-rickshaws ? 9. Many cycle rickshaw drivers witnessed a change in their social status after switching to e-rickshaws. Why is there a difference in the social perception? 10.What are the political reasons behind the sudden mobilisation of E-rickshaw as a major paratransit mode? 11.What are the implications of legalising domestic charging of E-rickshaws? 12.What is the emerging infrastructure scenario for the development of E-rickshaws (like charging stations and public parking) and what is its significance?
METHODOLOGY To understand the present changes and to assess the impact of newer modes of transit we need to analyse the changes and the view of different stakeholders - the operators, the commuters, the civic body (central and state) and the manufacturers. TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE AND THE CIRCUMSTANCE FOR EMERGENCE OF A NEW MODE OF TRANSIT What promotes a spontaneous emergence of a new mode of transit (in this case E-rickshaw). To understand the support groups which lobby for this new mode of transit. To understand why the E-rickshaw were allowed to grow unregulated till 2014 and analyse the larger implication of such unregulated growth. UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF CIVIC BODY - REGULATION AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY An in depth analysis of the policy changes regarding e-rickshaws and understanding the reason and politics behind the changes. Understanding the provisions mentioned in the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 related to non-motorised vehicles and understanding the relative promotion battery operated modes receive from the government. To study the various regulations in place for the individual modes like the route restriction and to study the impact of such restrictions on the other mode of transit. To understand if there are political criteria towards such selective development. Understanding the various schemes and policy in place and what sector of stakeholders it cater to. To understand the wide ranging impacts of such policy.
The study is likely to be comprising secondary data collection from government issued documents and comparing it with the traffic scenario prevalent in Delhi. This would include visits to NGOs like Manushri Sanghatan and ITDP (Initiative for Transportation and Development Programmes). And primary data analysis of the other stakeholders on their views and problems (if faced) under the new schemes. UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF DRIVERS AND THE OPERATION MODE To analyse the operational characteristics of e-rickshaws and compare it with the other paratransit mode in the identified sample pool in a proposed site. Structured interviews to understand the ways in which they have adapted to operation of E-rickshaws, the changes in fares and routes. Interacting with the cycle rickshaw and e-rickshaw drivers who converted to understand the changes in the living conditions, social status, economic status, awareness about government policies and schemes and everyday problems. The Socio-Economic study aims to check the role of E-rickshaws in the employment and income generation in the city, as well as its contribution to poverty alleviation of the drivers by doing a comparative analysis with their previous livelihoods. And analyse the need for financing and credit/asset lending options for the drivers, and insurance policies for the battery rickshaws. THE COMMUTERS PERCEPTION OF THESE TRANSIT MODES. What parameters define the choice of commuters between the two modes if both option is available? To support this through interaction with the commuters’ and understanding the reasons behind their choice of paratransit for everyday commutes. Understanding the society’s interpretations of the traditional paratransit modes and the modern ones. What impact has the newer modes on their daily commute if they have shifted to it? If not, do they want the change to take place or are they happy with the existing scenario? UNDERSTANDING THE TECHNICAL ASPIRATION FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND THE OPERATORS PERSPECTIVE The technical study is aimed at checking the safety and the efficiency of the vehicles, in order to analyse the policies for manufacturing and functioning of these vehicles. Currently, e-rickshaws are manufactured by local, lesser-known companies. While the vehicles seem to stay around , drivers complain they are not sturdy enough. To understand what the operator expects out of a vehicle and what he can get through the financing option available. Also to understand the local manufacturers standpoint on the new regulation in place and analysing how it impacts the larger corporate manufacturer versus the local ones.
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