Dinesh Kamath's news 'Introduction of new share auto routes being considered seriously, Also introduction of e-rickshaws recommended' that was published in Newsband

Introduction of new share auto routes being considered seriously

Also introduction of e-rickshaws recommended

By Dinesh Kamath

Above: Share auto of Navi Mumbai

Above: E-rickshaw at Varnasi

NAVI MUMBAI: The Vashi and Panvel transport offices want MMRTA to introduce 21 new share auto routes in the city. They are in talk with the traffic department and auto unions to find out whether they liked the proposal.  

There are 10 new routes possible for Kharghar, Kamothe and Panvel areas. The share auto routes under Panvel RTO cover Uran, Panvel, Khalapur and Karjat talukas. Vashi and Panvel transport offices already have 36 and 20 share routes respectively. Is is being proposed that out of 20 routes, 15 should be allotted to various nodes in the city.

At Kharghar the share auto charges Rs 30 while meter charge is around Rs 45-Rs 50. The commuters save quite a bit of money. Vashi is the busiest suburban station that caters to the nearby Koparkhairane node and also Sanpada. Share autos are useful particularly during the rains.

The traffic department is not happy by the way share autos function since the share auto operators tend to defy the cops and wait at the stand to pick up a fourth passenger to share the driver's seat. According to the traffic department the commuters seem to cooperate with the auto drivers rather than help the police to book cases where laws are violated by auto drivers. The commuters are happy with the share system because here the minimum fare for a share auto is Rs 10 and saves commuters Rs 7 or Rs 8 and this is advantageous for them. A share auto is any day cheaper than autos that run by the meter.

Mahesh Sharma, the resident of Koparkhairane and a regular commuter of share rickshaw says that Navi Mumbai should follow the system adopted by Varanasi Municipal Corporation which encourages e-rickshaws to ply on their roads. He said, “The e-rickshaw can carry a maximum of four passengers but, one can often see more than 5-6 passengers being ferried on it. Electric rickshaws (also known as Tuk Tuk) have been becoming more popular in some cities since 2008 as an alternative to auto rickshaws because of their low fuel cost. They are being widely accepted as an alternative to Petrol/Diesel/CNG auto rickshaws. They are 3 wheels pulled by an electric motor ranging from 650-1400 Watts. They are mostly manufactured in China, only a few other countries manufacture these vehicles. Battery-run rickshaws could be a low-emitter complementary transport for the low-income people, who suffer most from a lack of transport facility, if introduced in a systematic manner according to experts.”

An expert on e-rickshaw said, “These rickshaws are built on M.S (Mild Steel) Chassis, consist of 3 wheels with a differential mechanism at rear wheels. The motor is brush less DC motor manufactured mostly in India and China. The electrical system used in Indian version is 48V and Bangladesh is 60V. The body design from most popular Chinese version is of very thin iron or aluminum sheets. Some variants made in fiber are also popular because of their strength and durability, resulting in low maintenance. Body design is varied from load carriers. passenger vehicles with no roof, to full body with windshield for drivers comfort. It consists of a controller unit. They are sold on the basis of voltage supplied and current output, also the number of mosfet (metal oxide field effect transistor) used. The battery used is mostly lead acid battery with life of 6–12 months.”

He added, “Electric rickshaws are most popular in Asia - the low-cost Chinese version being the first to show up on streets. They are mostly used in China, India, Bangladesh and Nepal, also in low numbers other parts of Asia they have been showing up. China, Japan, India, and European countries (Switzerland, France, Germany) have researched and developed electric tricycles for commercial transport and are attempting to capture the growing market in Asia. Government has made efforts though to run them and made plans to issue licences on a fee of 1.5tk but there has been no action on this matter to date.”

“One of the first attempts to design electric rickshaws was done by Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute in late 1990s. They modified the cycle rickshaw and then converted to an electric one. In India they are popularly known as e-rickshaws and are widely spread all over India. They started to gain popularity in India since 2011. The design is now much different from cycle rickshaws. They have provided with service to city and have also contribution in providing livelihood to people in India. Due to their low cost and high efficiency they are accepted on the Indian streets, but government policies have been threatening the e-rickshaw and banned them in the capital city Delhi but due to increase in number failed to put them off the streets. They are still widely used in Delhi and other parts of India,” the expert concluded.