ARTICLE | Mass Urban Transit
India needs to pay more heed to the growing electric rickshaw industry
India currently has over 15 lakh e-rickshaws running in city lanes and providing the solution for first-and last-mile connectivity, especially to the middle-income group. To support the budding electric vehicle industry, several policies have been introduced by the government; none that address the presence of potentially unsafe e-rickshaws and their operation by unregistered drivers Shivi sharma | Editorial Assistant
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ndia is not a country raised on gold. Car ownership is a privilege most do not have. A survey conducted at the end of 2018 concluded that car ownership stood at 30 vehicles for every thousand Indians in a country where 1.3 billion people live. Hence, it is safe to say that most Indians do not have the luxury to own personal conveyance. This is where public transportation comes into the picture. In Delhi alone, over 6.8 million people use public transport on a regular basis. However, only a few have their daily routes aligned with those of metros and buses. Enter e-rickshaws. Not only can they be used conveniently,
36 July 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in
they are also inexpensive and beneficial for drivers.
Growth of electric vehicles in India
India is on the development path with an exponential rise in the number of cities, from 5161 in 2001 to 7935 in 2011. During India’s years of development, a considerable rise in the number of registered vehicles has also been observed, indicating a strong need for viable options for mass transit. Simultaneously, there has been a rise in issues related to vehicular emissions in cities. Conventional fuel powered vehicles have largely contributed to rising pollution levels that are leading
to poor air quality and its related health issues. The government has, therefore, been exploring alternative mobility options for the city folk. The most feasible and logical option seems to be electric vehicles (EVs). Electric rickshaws were introduced in India in 2012. Since e-rickshaws started looming their webs in the fabrics of India’s urban landscape, they have experienced exponential growth. Currently, e-rickshaws make up 83 per cent of the Indian electric vehicle market with over 15 lakh registered e-rickshaws. The Indian e-rickshaw market is expected to reach a market value of US $13,942.2 million by 2025. According to a report published by
