Soon, 365 pink autos to ply in Noida and Ghaziabad

The regional transport department of Uttar Pradesh has granted permission to 365 new pink autorickshaws, which will ferry only women, in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad. The Noida transport department will register 340 pink autorickshaws while Ghaziabad will get 25 vehicles.

This comes around four months after the department had launched a fleet 40 pink autorickshaws in Noida last December.

The pink autorickshaws, will be GPS-enabled, aim to ensure the safety of women commuters. 

As per the plan, the Noida administration and transport department will make 14 pink auto stands – 11 in Noida and three in Greater Noida. These autorickshaws will operate from outside all Metro stations. In Noida, pink auto stands will be set up in Sectors 12-22, 37, 56, 62 and GIP Mall, an while in Greater Noida they will come up at Knowledge Park, Pari Chowk and Jagat Farm.

Officials said at present there was a ban on the registration of local autorickshaws in Noida. “There are already around 12,000 local autos in Noida, which are sufficient for the city. The Regional Transport Authority (RTA) has granted its approval to register pink autos in Noida and Ghaziabad. The transport department has completed all formalities for the launch. The autorickshaws will be GPS-enabled to ensure the safety of passengers,” said an official.

Pink autos will charge Rs 25 for the first 2km and Rs 8 for every subsequent km, on the lines of fares charged by NCR autos. 

Chaudhury Om Prakash, president of the Noida autorickshaw drivers’ union, said they has asked the transport department to share the details and criteria to get a permit for pink autorickshaws.

“The first fleet consisted of 40 autos and in the second fleet there will be around 340 vehicles. In the later phases, same number of autorickshws will be dedicated for this purpose. If things go well, the department will provide a dedicated auto service for women travelling in and around these cities. Last-mile connectivity has always been a major problem for women commuters and the move aims to address this problem. The autorickshaws will ferry only women passengers,” said a senior official of transport department.

As men drive these pink autos, the department has appointed them only after conducting a proper verification. There will be dress code for the drivers. 

The autorickshaws will be available between 7 pm and 12 am and if the number of autorickshaws is increased, there will be separate stands for them.