Letters

The article on erickshaws was interesting. It provided a picture of how the erickshaw industry is functioning at the orgianised and unorganised level. A common sight on the roads of Delhi, erickshaws are slow but not adding to the already bad air quality in the NCR. They are found in the regions neighbouring Delhi like Ghaziabad where they facilitate last mile connectivity between localities and the nearest bus station or the metro station. The future of erickshaws looks bright, but there is a need to help them grow into an industry that turns out better quality and more capable products. They should be able to fulfill the requirements that petrol powered rickshaws do today. A mere announcement of FAME and some provisions under it may not be enough. The erickshaw industry will have to be hand held and turned into a capable organised sector that is self sustaining and not just reliant on the domestic market. Capable erickshaws will also make them attractive to those states that are at present hesitant.