There is no doubt in the fact that e-rickshaw numbers have been swelling across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir since their inception a few years back with this mode of transportation becoming prominent especially for last-mile connectivity. What is intriguing is that except the aforesaid fact, the introduction of this new mode of transport has brought many new challenges which didn’t exist earlier. The primary issue is the introduction of these vehicles (e-rickshaws) in the already congested roads of the region, that too in the hundreds and with considerable length, making their presence particularly troublesome. The next is poor driving skills of those manning these vehicles as off and on these vehicles get involved in minor accidents in the inner roads of the cities and towns across the UT. It is a fact that most of the operators of these vehicles are without proper driving licenses as they operate in the areas which are not covered by the traffic cops to ensure traffic rules thus adding more chaos in streets and by-lanes. Another factor which is worrisome is the use of intoxicants by the operators of these vehicles. Although no official data is available, regular passengers especially those traveling during evening hours would agree that many e-rickshaw operators are often under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants, as traffic police in J&K rarely conducts checks for drunk driving, allowing such behaviour to go unchecked. Besides, overcharging, and other traffic violations are also associated with this new mode of transport which was introduced to combat rising levels of pollution in the region and across the country. As far as containing pollution is concerned, considering the debates presently going on at different levels, the disposal of batteries of these electrical vehicles has posed a big question mark because many experts believe that the pollution caused by this action will be many times more than the one caused by the dissipation of fossil fuels in conventional modes of transport. Though the issue of lithium disposal has to be handled at the top government level therefore what is to be taken care of at the moment is to streamline the e-rickshaws in J&K especially in Jammu region because the order regarding ban on their entry into highways is also not implemented in letter and spirit and limiting their operations to specific zones has also not served the purpose. Though this mode has absorbed many unemployed youths as they have a livelihood now but overall, the government needs to do a lot to streamline challenges associated with these battery-operated soundless rickshaws.
