United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi has asked the government to create world-class

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urban transport and increase people’s dependence on public transport as fuel prices soar.

A task force under the chairmanship of minister of state for road transport KH Muniyappa is likely to be constituted. And not just this. The UPA government is also working on strategies so that fuel consumption can be reduced. To begin with, about 8 million cycle rickshaws may get branded as the government gears up to promote non-motorised modes of transport.

The urban development ministry is implementing pilot projects for scientific management of cycle rickshaws in Delhi, Chandigarh, Faridabad and Agra to encourage people use this non-polluting mode of commuting. As part of the project, biometric identity cards will be issued to bona-fide rickshaw pullers who are aware of traffic rules and meet other eligibility criteria. This will also facilitate easier loans and insurance policies for them.

If successful, similar projects may be taken up by other states for cycle rickshaws as well as auto rickshaws.

“All the rickshaw pullers will be registered so that they can be located easily and held accountable if the need be. This way people will be comfortable using cycle rickshaws and the rickshaw pullers will also have social security,” a senior official in the urban development ministry told Financial Chronicle.

The research projects in Delhi and Chandigarh will be conducted by New Delhi-based non-profit making organisation Institute of Urban Transport.

The pilot projects in Faridabad and Agra are being implemented by the state governments. “The study will highlight issues involved in such modes of transport and the line of action to be taken. The idea is to give attention to non-motorised modes of commuting and facilitating their co-existence with the motorised vehicles,” the official added.

Management of cycle-rickshaws has deteriorated in many cities to the extent that many people are pulling rickshaws without a licence

or without properly obeying traffic rules, causing problems to other traffic and pedestrian movement.

It is estimated that 95 per cent of the rickshaw pullers run rickshaws on hire basis, paying high daily rental fees to the owners. In addition, they have to bear the cost of any accidental damage to the vehicle. Such projects are aimed at making them self-reliant by eliminating the system of running rickshaws on hire basis.

According to Punjab National Bank (ONB), this vulnerability is due to their lack of access to basic formal banking services such as loans, savings and insurance. The bank has launched ‘Jan Mitra Rickshaw Project’ on pilot basis in Varanasi in association with NGO Centre for Rural Development.

Under this model, rickshaws are given free of cost to the rickshaw puller while they have to pay a maintenance cost of Rs 10 per day. Simultaneously health and medical insurance cover will also be provided. Rickshaw pullers will have to open a no-frills account with PNB to get all these services.