Over one lakh e-rickshaws but no legal charging point in the capital
NEW DELHI: For over one lakh e-rickshaws operating in the city, the capital has no legal charging point for these battery-operated three wheelers.
With a rampant increase in their number, the Delhi government is faced with a new challenge of dealing with the safety hazards that these vehicles pose for the drivers and passengers.
Letters and data of the Delhi government accessed by HT reveal that there are no government authorised charging point for e-rickshaws in the city and that discoms are currently allowing consumers to charge their own e-rickshaws through energy meters installed in their houses.
Over 80% of the e-rickshaws plyinginthecitydonothavecertificatesofroadworthinessfromthe BatteryRickshawSangh,thebody authorisedtoissuethecertificates.
By now a situation has arrived where dozens of e-rickshaws are being charged with a single domestic connection resulting in overloading of the sanctioned electricity capacity of the meter. Estimates of total e-rickshaws plying Registered e-rickshaws till February Registered e-rickshaws in Delhi as on October 13
“Ithasbeenfoundthatgangsare minting money from e-rickshaw charging. Drivers pay ₹70 to ₹100 per day to the groups which steal powerandchargevehicles.Places range from houses to empty plots wherelivewiresareextractedfrom theground.Theprocesstakesplace atnight,”saidadiscomofficial.
While the government had prepared a list of 100 manufacturers and around 90 dealers are authorised to sell these vehicles and its parts, it simply had not thought about providing charging At residences using domestic connections
Through gangs who are illegally tapping electricity by using live wires
There is no governmentapproved or legal charging points available across the capital
stations to them.
Antransportdepartmentofficial said, “Our task is that of registration and challans. The power departmenthasbeenaskedbythe DelhiHighCourttocomeupwithan actionplanforchargingstations.”
“From our side we have done everything. We directed the discoms to approach DERC to decide special tariffs for those who are providing charging points. Now, the transport department has to decide the modalities,” a power department official said.