Prepaid e-rickshaw, auto services in Har-Ki-Pauri mela zone from Monday
HARIDWAR: In a bid to ensure better transport facility to pilgrims, tourists and local people as well as evade traffic congestion, Haridwar Municipal Corporation is set to start a prepaid rickshaw facility at HarKi-Pauri Mela zone in Haridwar from Monday.
Also known as zero zone, the stretch from Post Office-Shri Juna Akhada Square-Upper Road-Har-Ki-Pauri till Bhimgoda, prepaid auto, e-rickshaw and even pedal rickshaw service will be available.
At a given time, 10 e-rickshaws, 10 pedal rickshaws, three auto-rickshaws and two tongas will be allowed to ferry passengers. According to chief town commissioner Dayanand Saraswati, the auto-electric pedal rickshaws will have to get registered with municipal corporation to ply on zero zone.
Two stands for these vehicles will be built on both sides and slips will be issued with the rate and vehicle number. Rate list will also be affixed at rickshaws and the stands.
While auto-rickshaw unions, local traders and people have welcomed this move, pedal rickshaw and tonga union have voiced their dissent.
Pedal rickshaw union, under the aegis of Panchpuri Paidal Rickshaw Chalak Samiti and City Tonga Association, said that the new system would bring about an additional burden on them as they have to register with the civic body again.
President of the pedal rickshaw union, Raju Minocha, said that pilgrim and tourist number has surged after recent relaxation in Covid curfew, so a limited number of prepaid rickshaws won’t be able to sustain the passenger numbers.
At a protest at Shiv Moorti square, union members said that they will oppose this move by staging an agitation and submit a memorandum to chief town commissioner in this regard.
General secretary of Prantiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal, Sanjay Triwal, said that this new prepaid rickshaw-Tonga system will benefit the pilgrims, tourists and local people.