E-rickshaws to vroom on Ahmedabad roads soon

Who would not be acquainted with smart phones, smart classes and smart cities? What goes behind building up these ‘smart’ things is, the upgraded technology that makes life easier. Inspired by the smart e-rickshaw project of Varanasi launched in May, the Gujarat Government has given a thumbs up to a similar project to curb pollution, a welcome decision that was taken on the World Environment Day recently.

As the youth can be the agents of change, there is a special emphasis to make these rickshaws popular amongst them. And to do so, there will be special discounts available for college students, just like the BRTS. “E-rickshaws will have passes for the college students on a monthly basis. If earlier, they were spending `5 per km, the monthly passes will ensure an expenditure of `3 per km only,” says Rikesh Parikh, one of the members working on the e-

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With the government initiating such projects, youngsters seem to be ready and eager to lend a helping hand to the cause. “I usually travel by shared autos. But considering this option of e-rickshaw, I would want to avail the facility. It would be good if awareness about such facilities are spread properly,” says Manorama Dayal, a second year engineering student. She is also of the opinion that every person has to contribute his/her bit to the environment beginning with such small steps of giving up on the fuel dependent vehicles.
Though the concept is eco- friendly, a lot of work needs to undergo before it is launched. Availability and charging stations are the two most important pre-requisites. “We initially will have to ask the willing people to register and import only those many e-rickshaws,” says R N Kansara, assistant project executive, energy conservation, GEDA adding, “Depending on the kind of response we get, we will plan further. Our first priority is to build the charging stations and make sure that there won't be any electricity theft,.”

With the rise in the pollution level and fuel dependency, e-rickshaw seems like an effective way to counter prevailing problems. “The idea of launching e-rickshaw is welcoming. It would definitely help us curb the pollution level of the city. Though there is a need of organized parking for these rickshaws for it to become feasible for consumers. There should also be proper payment system. Also, in the old city, where streets are narrow and there is heavy congestion we need something that emits less smoke, and e-rickshaws would meet our expectations,” says Anuj Malhotra who’s involved with sustainable development projects. So, it will be a cool green ride for students.

WHY E-RICKSHAW?
Its eco- friendly nature: They are the excellent alternative to petrol/ diesel and CNG driven vehicles that cause severe pollution, as they are battery operated. They do not emit smoke and hence they are non-polluting.
Economical:
An e-rickshaw is an affordable option to be made available for the users. They will not only made things pocket friendly for the passengers, but equally economical for the owners.
Anti-noise pollution:
One can enjoy a very comfortable ride without any type of noise from these rickshaws.


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