After 3-month trial, will Matheran allow use of e-rickshaws?

More than 19,000 students used e-rickshaws to get to school during the trial of the vehicle in the past three months

The three-month e-rickshaw trial report of Matheran has revealed that the seven e-rickshaws in service were used by over 50,000 people, including local residents, school students and senior citizen tourists. The monitoring committee is expected to meet next week to decide on the future of e-rickshaws in the eco-sensitive hill station.

As per the report, a copy of which is with mid-day, the three-month pilot project started on December 5, 2022 and ended on March 4, 2023. The e-rickshaws plied between 6.30 am and 10 pm from Dasturi naka (taxi stand) to Matheran station and from there to One Hill Tree, which is about six kilometres from the taxi stand.

Reserved for students

The morning timings were reserved for students since both local schools, St Xavier's School and Gavankar High School, are three km from town and principals of both schools had said that e-autos would prove beneficial for their students. During the period, 33,058 locals and 18,833 tourists travelled by the e-autos. Of the 33,058 locals, 19,138 were school students. The average ratio of the category of commuters using e-autos was roughly 26.99 per cent students, 46.50 per cent locals and 26.49 per cent tourists.

Also read: Need to preserve the good in Matheran, too

The report states that three charging points had been set up uphill at BJ Hospital, Community Hall and Dasturi naka and an average power bill of Rs 49,316 was paid during the three-month trial. The total revenue collection during the period was Rs 19,27,780 and there were no technical snags during the operation.

‘E-vehicles cheaper'

Retired school teacher Sunil Shinde who had moved court seeking e-rickshaws be allowed to ply in Matheran said they have been immensely helpful for locals who had to shell out Rs 150 to Rs 200 extra to get LPG cylinders and other essential commodities uphill by horse cart. "E-vehicles may bring down the cost. As far as tourists are concerned, their first preference remains horses, but e-autos will prove to be immensely helpful to senior citizens and women and will help boost tourism in Matheran," he said. The report was discussed at the monitoring committee meeting on March 28 and will be further discussed next week at Mantralaya.