e-rickshaw misuse, reckless driving raise safety concerns

Introduced as an eco-friendly mode of transport in the holy city, battery-operated rickshaws meant for ferrying passengers are being used as goods carriers. This practice poses risks not only to the commuters but also to the drivers of these vehicles.

Passenger e-rickshaws are not designed to carry heavy goods and lack the load-carrying capacity of cargo e-rickshaws. However, this violation continues unabated, right under the nose of the authorities concerned.

Moreover, while e-rickshaws offer convenient and affordable transportation, they present significant safety concerns due to design flaws and careless driving by operators. Among the major safety issues are their fragile structure and lack of essential safety features.

An expert said that many locally made e-rickshaws are poorly designed and manufactured with fragile frames making these prone to toppling when they pass through the potholed and uneven roads.

Recently, two videos went viral on social media, one of these showed an e-rickshaw being torn apart after colliding with a speeding car in a posh locality, while another captured an e-rickshaw toppling while passing through a waterlogged lane near the Golden Temple following recent showers. Reckless driving by the untrained drivers further compromises road safety and contributes to the rising number of accidents.

Sandeep Kumar, a resident of Majitha Road, pointed out that the passenger e-rickshaws must be discouraged from carrying goods. “The district and police administration should take stern measures against violators in this connection,” he said.

Senior lawyer Ravi Mahajan said e-rickshaw drivers frequently violate rules with impunity and drive recklessly. Due to their weak structures, these rickshaws can prove fatal for passengers in case of accidents, as they easily topple. “Design flaws, overloading and irresponsible driving combine to create a dangerous mix, leading to a higher incidence of e-rickshaw accidents,” he added.

Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the traffic wing regularly holds meetings with auto-rickshaw and e-rickshaw drivers to raise awareness about safety issues and enforce traffic rules in letter and spirit. He added that drivers would be sternly instructed not to use passenger e-rickshaws as goods carriers.

Amritsar