Mumbai, March 13 The Maharashtra government has decided to make permits mandatory for passenger-carrying electric rickshaws and e-bikes to ensure uniformity in rules in the sector, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced on Friday.
The decision comes at a time when the transport department has said it would stop issuing new permits for autorickshaws (with yellow-and-black registration plates) in the state, and has temporarily suspended permits issued to three operators to use e-bikes.
Until now, electric rickshaws were not required to obtain a separate permit for passenger transport, Sarnaik’s office said in a release. However, considering the rising number of electric vehicles, the state has decided to make permits compulsory for e-rickshaws and e-bikes to ensure uniform regulations in passenger transport, it said.
According to the latest decision, taken in accordance with a central notification of June 30, 2016, the passenger-carrying e-rickshaw and e-bikes will be required to feature number plates with a green background with yellow lettering.
“With this step, uniform rules will apply to conventional autorickshaws, taxis and electric rickshaws engaged in passenger transport. The objective is to bring transparency in the system and prevent irregularities,” Sarnaik said.
The release said that making permits mandatory for all passenger transport vehicles will help bring greater discipline in the sector, ensure compliance with rules and provide safer and regulated services to commuters.
The transport department is preparing to introduce a “single window system” to simplify the permit process, including submission of applications, verification of documents and approval procedures, the release said.