Mumbai, other cities to get e-bike taxis

The state government in its cabinet meeting held on Tuesday gave its approval for ebike taxis expected to generate 10000 employment opportunities in Mumbai and an equal number in the rest of MaharashtraSpeaking to mediapersons after the meeting state Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said ldquoThe decision will enable people to travel more at less cost A trip which would have earlier cost Rs 100 will now cost around Rs 30 to Rs 40rdquo However the minister clarified that the travel rates have yet to be worked out for the ebike taxis that will come into operationStateTransport Minister Pratap Sarnaik further stated that in order to ensure that there is no damage to the environment pollution only ebikes will be given permission for the business Asked about the safety of passengers Sarnaik claimed that modalities have been worked out ldquoRegulations are being worked out to ensure safety of passengers especially women travellersrdquo the minister addedBesides making commuting cheaper for travellers the policy aims to provide job opportunities for nearly 20000 people across Maharashtra ldquoIn Mumbai itself we expect 10000 job opportunities and an equal number of opportunities in the rest of Maharashtrardquo Sarnaik claimed In June 2024 in principle approval was given to the ebike taxi policy by erstwhile chief minister Eknath Shinde The goahead was given despite opposition by autorickshaw and taxi drivers According to initial plans ebikes can provide service for a maximum 15 km distanceMeanwhile the state government is also working on a proposal to encourage rickshaw drivers to opt for ebikes ldquoThe government is contemplating to give a grant of Rs 10000 if a child of a rickshaw driver decides to take up the ebike taxi servicerdquo the transport minister stated He explained that the idea is to ensure individuals who do not have initial funding can take up the business opportunity ldquoThe remaining amount needed can be taken as a loanrdquo Sarnaik addedTransport unions speakMumbai Automensrsquo Union leader Shashank Sharad Rao vehemently opposed the proposal and said it is a futile exercise ldquoWe are going to oppose this because the government will have no control over the operation of bike aggregators like was experienced earlier It will lead to a chaotic situationrdquo Rao told middaySenior transport expert with Mumbai Mobility Forum and Mumbai Vikas Samiti A V Shenoy said ldquoGiven the rise of vehicles on roads and narrow roads in Mumbai and other urban hubs it will be essential to control the number of electric bikes Many of them are slow and do not exceed the given speed limit but they will add to chaos as they will be sharing the same road space This very reason will lead to further congestion We can consider giving them separate dedicated corridorsrdquo he saidOnly drivers aged between 20 and 50 years will be eligible to operate ebike taxis Furthermore female passengers will have the option to choose female riders for added safety and convenience Additionally to reduce traffic congestion the government has approved the bike pooling option for private twowheelers These vehicles must have a valid fitness certificate a legal permit and insurance coverage under the Motor Vehicles Act The fares for bike taxis will be determined by the respective Regional Transport Authority RTA10000No of jobs service is expected to create in Mumbai