HT Correspondent
SIVASAGAR, May 29: The unbridled increase of e-rickshaws is creating traffic woes for the public in Sivasagar town, as decried by the Vikram drivers and owners. The three-wheeler Vikram owners, on Tuesday, created a ruckus in front of the District Transport Office, demanding urgent action against illegal e-rickshaws in the town. The Vikram owners came in large numbers from different areas to return the Vikrams to the DTO, alleging that their means of earning, even the daily wage, is spoiled by the increasing number of e-rickshaws permitted by the DTO and the Sivasagar Municipality Board (SMB). Chitu Baruah, the leader of the Vikram association, demanded strict action against erring e-rickshaws that are operating in the town without paying the government anything, while the Vikrams pay regular pollution clearance and annual taxes. Chitu Baruah said that they are not against unemployed youths earning a little through e-rickshaws, but some unscrupulous rich people buy e-rickshaws in large numbers and engage drivers of doubtful origin, thereby running a racket right under the nose of the administration. This is what is deplorable, he added. The e-rickshaws create a lot of traffic chaos and obey no traffic rules. Some travelers complain that the e-rickshaw operators virtually rob them when they book them early in the morning from the night buses. The Vikram owners have been demanding a solution to their conflict with the e-rickshaws since 2015, but the administration has not paid any heed, the Vikram owners said.
The chairperson of SMB told this correspondent that there were 550 e-rickshaws in the town and after a meeting of the Road Safety Committee, the district commissioner allowed another 450, making it 1000. Half of the e-rickshaws were granted permission to run in the Municipality area and the rest in the rural areas. But the actual number of e-rickshaws in the town will be over 3000. The rest of the e-rickshaws procure permissions directly from the DTO, Sivasagar, and the agencies selling e-rickshaws. As the e-rickshaws need no insurance certificate, the riders cannot claim any compensation. Most of the e-rickshaws for rural areas play within the town while the Vikrams ply only on three routes, from Darikapar to Jaysagar, Babupatty to Desandmukh, and from the Central Market to Namti Chari Ali.
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