Tardy process of license issuance makes PM's e-rickshaws go slow in Noida

NOIDA: The e-rickshaws handed over to drivers under the Bhartiya Micro Credit (BMC) scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are having a tough ride in the city given the slow and hassling process of issuance of permanent license.
While around 930 of these vehicles have been handed over to the drivers, only 50 have received the mandatory permanent license required for them to ply their vehicles.This technically means that many of them are plying on Noida’s roads without the necessary documentation.
Earlier, even a permit was required as the final document for the e-rickshaw to ply on roads but the latest notification of the central government issued in August-end has removed that necessary condition.
Transport Commissioner K Ravindra Naik told TOI that under the central government’s latest notification, the e-rickshaws in India do not need a permit now.
“They will be treated as motor vehicles minus a permit. They will continue to need a permanent license and the other necessary procedure would remain same including obtaining learning license, fitness, registration and finally, the permanent license,” he said.
However, drivers seem to be hassled by the procedure of issuance of license and many have not completed that due process.
Out of the 1000 e-rickshaws which were supposed to be distributed to the owners, as many as 70 have returned their vehicles citing issues like “non-conducive” routes and harassment from other e-rickshaw drivers who are running their vehicles on different routes that are not dedicated for these vehicles.
There are 12 routes for e-rickshaws in Noida including New Ashok Nagar to Jhundpura, Sector 14 – Sector 12/22, Sector 18 – Chaura village,Sector 56 – Labour Chowk, etc. However, e-rickshaws are freely plying on the metro route of Botanical Garden- New Ashok Nagar.
Arun Singh, an e-rickshaw driver of Sector 10 said that the vehicles are not profitable.
“We have been given routes which are not conducive and it has become difficult for us to take out money for the loan. Hence, many have decided to return the e-rickshaws,” he said.
However, Vijay Pandey, managing director of BMC told TOI that out of the 70 who have returned their vehicles, many e-rickshaw drivers have complained that the drivers of the non-BMC e-rickshaws which are running on the routes not designated for them, are harassing the drivers of the BMC e-rickshaws since they are offering lower prices on Ola share.
The BMC had tied with Ola share which charges Rs. 25 for two km and Rs. 8 per km for the following distance. However, the non-BMC e-rickshaws charge Rs. 10 for a small route and upto Rs. 20 for further distance.
Also, many feel that the process of getting the permanent license is tardy and slow.
“Around 400 have got learning licenses made but are yet to get their fitness and registration numbers. Many do not go for getting the documents made since they feel that they will lose an entire days’ earning. Now, the online test has also become necessary for obtaining the learning license. This has also discouraged fresh applicants,”Pandey said.
Around 150 learning licenses have already got expired. These will have to be renewed now. For this, the company has asked the Gautam Budh Nagar ARTO to do away with the online test for the e-rickshaw drivers.
Officials of the transport department say that only 267 e-rickshaws have received registration numbers and 10-12 fresh applications have been received for registration, officials say.
Regarding the online test, ARTO Rachna Yaduvanshi has said the department has written to the higher authorities to make an exception for the e-rickshaw drivers.