As trials begin, a local retd teacher says the vehicle will help students, women
Kids welcome the trials with banners
A month after trials of e-rickshaws plying till the hill station of Matheran as first reported by mid-day, the vehicles finally entered the eco-sensitive zone on Wednesday, and were taken to all popular tourist points for trial rides with officials in tow. The gradient climb tests in the hills with the monitoring team will now continue for three months, before public introduction.
More trials to be held
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Six companies were chosen to send e-rickshaws for trial, of which five participated. Of these, vehicles of two could not complete the initial trial satisfactorily. Once the electric auto rickshaw parameters are selected and finalised, there will be trials with the rest for the next three months after which the Supreme Court will take a final decision, a senior official said.
Also read: Matheran locals raise red flag, as the three-month e-rickshaw trials begin
Officers ride an e-rickshaw during a trial
Trials were taken from Dasturi naka to St Xavier’s school. Raigad district Collector Dr Mahendra Kalyankar has said that a three-month pilot project will begin on August 15 for continuation of trials. The team included officials of the Panvel Regional Transport Office, Deputy Superintendent of Police Karjat, officials of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Regional Forest Officer and officials from the local Matheran police station, along with officials and team of the Matheran Municipal Council.
Following guidelines by the Supreme Court in May 2022, the Maharashtra government’s urban development department on June 3 had green flagged the trials, after which the Matheran municipal council began the process of procuring e-rickshaws. On June 7, there were trials to find if there were any technical issues in climbing the steep inclines and gradients of the road between Neral and Matheran. The ongoing trials are the second phase of the same move.
‘No environmental hazard’
Retired school teacher Sunil Shinde who had moved the court seeking that e-rickshaws be allowed to ply in Matheran, said, “E-rickshaws will be helpful for students, senior citizens, women especially and give freedom to hand-cart pullers from the inhumane practice. This year as India celebrates its 75th Independence Day, it will be real freedom for the hand-cart pullers. Being an eco-sensitive zone, battery-operated electric rickshaws are safe, no environmental hazard and will make the commute faster. They will give us a dependable mode of transit.”
As the hill station does not allow cars since the British era to commute within Matheran, people have to either walk or use one of the 460 horses or 94 hand-pulled rickshaws available for transportation. Shinde thanked mid-day for its support for the cause and said that the landmark decision of the court will give freedom to the suffering cart pullers. mid-day has been highlighting the plight of hard cart pullers and the proposal of e-rickshaws.
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