Be alert or face the music: Cops to e-rickshaw drivers
Times of India | 21 May 2025
Kolkata: "Drive with caution or face prosecution" — that's the warning Bidhannagar City Police have served operators of mechanised retrofitted rickshaws plying in Salt Lake following the death of an elderly woman after being hit by one such rickshaw on May 1. On Monday, the Bidhannagar Commissionerate's traffic police held an awareness meeting with around 120 mechanised rickshaw drivers near Laboni bus stand. The meeting was attended by Bidhannagar's deputy police commissioner (traffic) Nima Norbu Bhutia, traffic in-charge (Bidhannagar) Siddhartha Mukherjee, and president of Bidhannagar's E-rickshaw Association Nirmal Dutta.Cops instructed drivers to obey signals, drive slowly, regularly check tyres, brakes, and other parts, and prohibited them from carrying excess passengers. "Mechanised rickshaws are not registered, so we cannot prosecute them under the usual Motor Vehicles Act. However, in case they meet with an accident, we will take necessary action against them. We are increasing driver awareness," said Bhutia.Dutta said, "Not all such rickshaw drivers are reckless. Our goal is for everyone to follow police rules. If violated, action will be taken. If necessary, drivers who break the law will be banned from operating on routes for a few days."On May 1, an elderly woman named Shikha Dutta was knocked down by a mechanised rickshaw in BL Block. She was hospitalised for 10 days, following which she passed away. Last June, a man died in a similar accident near Central Park.