Raiganj civic body announces new rules for e-rickshaws

Raiganj: The Raiganj Municipality has announced a set of new guidelines aimed at regulating the running of totos or e-rickshaws in the town, starting from January 1, 2025. The decision was taken at a meeting held at Raiganj Bidhan Mancha.

The move comes as a response to the growing traffic congestion in Raiganj, which has been attributed to the increasing number of e-rickshaws operating in the area. Krishna Kalyani, MLA of Raiganj; Sandip Biswas, Chairperson of the Raiganj municipality board of administrators along with Kingshuk Maity, Sub-Divisional Officer of Raiganj were present in the meeting. The authorities have introduced several new rules. E-rickshaws intended for sale within the municipality will now feature a blue colour sticker on the windshield while those sold for rural areas will be marked with green. These colour-coded vehicles will operate on alternating days within the municipality area.

Other key regulations include the requirement for e-rickshaw owners to drive their own vehicles and to ensure proper lighting on both the front and rear sides of the vehicle. The restrictions will be in place daily from 7 am to 10 pm. Exceptions will be made for emergency services.

Krishna Kalyani emphasised the necessity for these changes, stating: “To prevent traffic congestion and potential road accidents, we have enforced these new rules for e-rickshaw operations. They must be strictly adhered to from January 1, 2025, within the municipality limits. Furthermore, the Raiganj Municipality will commence the registration of these e-rickshaws from December 2 until December 31.

Details regarding fare structures and designated stands for e-rickshaws will be finalised in upcoming meetings. Importantly, vehicles will continue to be prohibited on national and state highways, following the directives of the state government.”