The issue of e-rickshaws has finally hit home with the rickshaw unions in the city now that the clearance of the e-rickshaw as an approved vehicle in Maharashtra is in its final stages at the transport department. A lingering fear among unions is that the e-rickshaw, once approved by the state transport department, will be given a status at par with autorickshaws. This in turn will allow people to apply for the next lot of rickshaw permits, as and when the lottery for these permits is held, and buy e-rickshaws with these permits.

Currently a little over 30000 lapsed permits are lying with the state department for the next round of lottery. These permits include around 4900-odd from Andheri RTO and 4300-odd form Wadala RTO which could not be given out in the first round due to a host of technical hitches.

Speaking to DNA, Thampi Kurien of the Mumbai Rickshawmen's Union agreed that there is a fear that the state might allow e-rickshaws to be bought with these permits. "We will oppose it tooth and nail because the entry of e-rickshaws will harm the normal trade. Moreover these are vehicles with absolutely no safety when it comes to Mumbai's roads. We are studying the entire e-rickshaw industry in detail and if need be will go to court against it."

However state transport department officials refused to get drawn into the debate at the moment. Replying to a query on 'whether e-rickshaws would be included in the next batch of rickshaw permits that would be put up for lottery whenever that is', additional chief secretary Gautam Chatterjee said, "Can't say now. The government has yet to decide on e-rickshaws."

State transport officials have been debating on how to weave in the e-rickshaw into the current rickshaw and taxi set-up. A letter written on February 3 by deputy transport commissioner PD Nikam to Chatterjee talks of these issues. The letter mentions the need to decide on whether e-rickshaws can be bought on the same permits that govern normal CNG rickshaws. It also highlights the fact that e-rickshaws, with a maximum speed of 25 kilometres per hour, could be a major traffic hindrance on highways and arterial roads.

The e-rickshaw saga so far:October 8, 2014- Union ministry of Road Transport and Highways issues a notification giving e-rickshaws legal validity by including it within provisions of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.December 19, 2014- Nagpur-based Nikhil Furnitures gets 'vehicle compliance' certification for its e-rickshaw brand Maxi from Pune-based Central Institute of Road Transport.January 7, 2015- Maharashtra state transport department gets first e-rickshaw approval application from Nagpur-based Nikhil Furnitures.