Bengal to streamline e-rickshaw registration, discontinue illegal vehicles

The West Bengal transport department has decided to streamline the registration of e-rickshaws and phase out unregistered and illegally manufactured vehicles.

The decision was taken in view of representations from various bodies about the plying of lakhs of unregistered e-rickshaws built in workshops without following any standard manufacturing procedures or safety guidelines.

A senior transport department official said that district magistrates have been asked to identify battery-operated unregistered e-rickshaws built clandestinely at local garages and phase them out in a time-bound manner.

Transport Secretary Saumitra Mohan, in a notice issued on September 12, said, "Representations have been received from different stakeholders in connection with non-compliance of guidelines for registration of e-rickshaws, duly manufactured by different companies including original equipment manufacturers, after obtaining the approval from the competent authority."

As per the Central Motor ...