Govt to announce safety ratings for E-rickshaws

THE humble electric rickshaw (e-rick) may be a boon for last-mile connectivity in Delhi, but not really trusted as a safe mode of public transport.

- PARVEZ SULTAN @ New Delhi

THE humble electric rickshaw (e-rick) may be a boon for last-mile connectivity in Delhi, but not really trusted as a safe mode of public transport. The Centre plans to rectify that.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has set up a technical committee to propose standards and a ratings-based safety assessment system for the battery-operated rickshaws. It will be on the lines of Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme), country's four-wheeler star rating system.

The idea is to encourage manufacturers to improve the manufacturing quality of these vehicles. At present, their chassis is made of mild steel, while the quality of the composite material and parts is inferior. So, the e-rickshaws suffer from safety issues.