Jaipur: After an earlier attempt fizzled out, Jaipur is making another push to regulate its swelling e-rickshaw fleet, this time through technology-backed monitoring, stricter enforcement and a citywide zonal system.
Around 50,000 e-rickshaws will be allowed to ply only within their allotted areas
Around 50,000 e-rickshaws will be allowed to ply only within their allotted areas
At the Traffic Control Board meeting, Wednesday, Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) approved a plan to divide the city into seven operational zones, with around 50,000 e-rickshaws allowed to ply only within their allotted areas. A private agency will develop a mobile application to track vehicle movement and flag route violations.The decision comes months after a pilot project in the Walled City failed to sustain. Launched in Feb, the initiative restricted 250 e-rickshaws to fixed routes with dedicated lane markings. However, weak enforcement saw the system collapse within weeks, and traffic congestion soon returned to previous levels.DCP (traffic) Yogesh Goyal said the earlier manual registration process proved ineffective. Under the revised system, e-rickshaw drivers will have to register through e-Mitra or other designated platforms from Aug 1. Permits will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Every registered vehicle will carry a QR code and a colour-coded zone sticker, while the app and field teams will monitor compliance. E-rickshaws found operating outside their designated zones or without registration will be seized and penalised.Traders, however, remain sceptical, citing the poor implementation of previous initiatives. Jaipur Vyapar Mahasangh General Secretary Suresh Saini said earlier measures, including dedicated e-rickshaw lanes in Kishanpol and Johri Bazaar, failed because enforcement weakened over time. He also alleged that trader bodies were rarely consulted before such decisions.Saini said traffic congestion cannot be eased by regulating e-rickshaws alone. He called for a comprehensive traffic management plan addressing illegal parking, footpath encroachments and the movement of low-floor buses, along with better coordination among JDA, Jaipur Municipal Corporation and traffic police.Residents echoed similar concerns. Local trader Mukesh Navlani said the plan’s success would depend on consistent enforcement rather than fresh announcements. Resident Raja Sharma said lasting relief would require action against encroachments, illegal parking and poor traffic discipline alongside regulation of e-rickshaws.
