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Notes from Lalkuan - E-Rickshaws

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E-Rickshaw (L) and Vikram ( R)

If there is one aspect in which North India has stolen a march over South India,  it  is  in the matter of E-Rickshaws. When I was en route to Delhi , I saw thousands of them crawling the streets in Jaipur, then , later I saw a good many of them in Karol Bagh where we stayed. I thought it is an urban phenomenon. Later I found, E-Rickshaws is the preferred mode of transport for women ( since they do not use two  wheelers) in Lalkuan.  It is as if  PM Modi silently announced PMERY , for whose who are  not familiar with mind bending mnemonics coming from Delhi - Pradhan Mantri Electric Rickshaw Yojana, and implemented it only in North India.  The ecosystem has  taken off so well that there are 4  shops selling batteries for E-Rickshaws in Lalkuan.

As is my wont, I entered  into a  conversation with a Rickshaw owner-cum-driver ( luckily it  is the  norm, they are mostly owner-driven). He said, a battery, when new, can last for about 130 km and an old battery may do about 80-90 km. There is space to keep additional battery in the Rickshaw itself and that he charges them each night. The running costs are negligible and he sets out at 7 am each day and by 3 pm, he changes to the other battery and it lasts till he gets home for the day. E-Rickshaws have fully replaced traditional Autos and nobody seems to be complaining. However, in the absence of public transport, for longer distances , people go in  monstrosity called "Vikram".  I saw Vikram in 80's when I first came to North India. They are still alive and kicking without as much as a change as the erstwhile Ambassdor would sport those days, changing grills between Mark III and  Mark VI models. They are produced by the public sector gem "Scooters India Ltd"". It would seem a "Vikram" has infinite capacity to seat people. If animals are transported in those vehicles, PETA will go to Supreme Court. It must in the Guinness Book of World Record for being able to pack maximum people per unit area in a transport vehicle. 

Enthused by one such driver's  talk, I took a ride  with Revathi. E-Rickshaws, when not jam packed with 4 or 5 people, are hard on your spines. It requires a very supple spine to withstand the shocks when the small tyres with little  or no suspension roll over pot-holed roads. Even small undulations on the roads sends shocks up your  spine. Probably, if you sit along with 4 others in a packed fashion, it would be less jarring.

I think somebody has not told  this yet to Rahul Gandhi. It will be a  good  opportunity for him-"It is Modiji's conspiracy to make people  spineless ..PMERY  is an attack on Indians who want to stand up to him". After all, does the nation not look up to him as the  only man with spine to take on Modi?

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