Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Despite a clear ban on the movement of e-rickshaws along the city’s designated VIP routes, the battery-operated vehicles are routinely seen on these restricted stretches, raising concerns about lax enforcement of the order.
According to the traffic department’s order, e-rickshaws are prohibited on all major VIP corridors to streamline traffic, ensure smooth movement of emergency services and security convoys.
The banned routes include--Raj Bhavan to Polytechnic Crossing, Polytechnic Crossing to State Hangar, Boat Club area, Hamidia Road , from Alpana to Bhopal Talkies, Apex Bank to Roshanpura, Link Road 1 – from Board Office Square to Apex Ban, Katju Hospital Tiraaha to Rangmahal Tiraaha, Vande Mataram to 10 Number Stop,10 Number Stop to National Hospital, Centre Point to Roshanpura and GG Flyover.
These routes are considered high-priority for security and traffic management.
However, despite repeated warnings and enforcement drives, e-rickshaws can still be seen operating on these roads, often during peak hours, leading to traffic slowdowns and posing safety concerns.
Commuters say that the slow-moving vehicles, which frequently stop to pick and drop passengers, disrupt the steady flow of traffic on these sensitive stretches.
Declaring the ban on July 22, the traffic officials had said that e-rickshaw drivers would be given a warning for a week and then action would be initiated against them for violating the order.
Traffic police officials admitted that although checks were carried out, enforcement remained a challenging task. Many e-rickshaw drivers used side lanes or alternate entry points to rejoin the VIP routes.
ACP Traffic Ajay Vajpayee said the time limit for making the e-rickshaw drivers aware of the banned routes had been extended till August 15. The e-rickshaw drivers were continuously being made aware of the new rules. However, action would be taken against them after the time limit expired, he added.
