TNNLudhiana: With the e-rickshaws being increasingly ubiquitous on city roads and concerns mounting over traffic indiscipline, the district administration has launched an E-Rickshaw Road Safety Awareness and Enforcement Programme aimed at improving compliance with traffic rules and reducing accidents.Deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain inaugurated the campaign at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan in the presence of regional transport officer (RTO) Mankanwal Singh Chahal. The initiative seeks to streamline the operation of e-rickshaws while creating awareness among drivers about safe drivingpractices and enforcing traffic regulations.Addressing hundreds of drivers, the DC said e-rickshaws had transformed last-mile connectivity by providing an affordable, accessible and environment-friendly mode of transport. However, he stressedthat road safety could not be compromised.“Eco-friendly mobility cannot come at the cost of human lives. Theadministration will maintain zero tolerance towards traffic violations,” hesaid.Jain appealed to e-rickshaw drivers to consider road safety as a safeguardfor their own lives and livelihoods rather than merely a legal obligation.He directed them not to drive on the wrong side of roads, avoid jumping redlights and ensure that their vehicles remain roadworthy with functionalheadlights, indicators and reflective stickers.He also appealed to commuters not to board overcrowded e-rickshaws and toreport instances of dangerous driving to the traffic helpline.Former ACP (Traffic) Gurdev Singh, who addressed the e-rickshaw driverssaid the auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws has led to growing indiscipline oncity roads, particularly around congested areas such as the railway stationand bus stand.“So many auto-rickshaws have increased that indiscipline is causingaccidents and creating danger for everyone on the road, particularly nearthe railway sation and the bus stand,” he said, adding that while thevehicles play an important role in public transport, discipline areessential.Highlighting the seriousness of road accidents, Gurdev Singh cited nationalroad safety data, stating that 4,77,177 road accidents were reported in thecountry in 2024, claiming nearly 1.77 lakh lives. He said around 66 percent of those killed were between 18 and 34 years of age, while nearly tenthousand schoolchildren also lost their lives in road crashes. “Roadaccidents do not distinguish between the rich and the poor, the powerfuland the common man,” he said while urging drivers to follow traffic rules.Overloading, saying that generally only three passengers are permitted ine-rickshaws. He said overloading and overspeeding significantly increasethe risk of the vehicle overturning. He also cautioned drivers againstsudden braking and using mobile phones while driving, he added.Former ACP stressed the importance of providing immediate first aid toaccident victims, saying timely medical assistance can save lives,indicating that first aid training should also be provided to them.RTO Mankanwal Singh Chahal said the primary objective of the campaign is tosensitize drivers about traffic regulations while ensuring safer roads.He said every driver must possess a valid driving licence, registrationcertificate, fitness certificate, pollution under control certificate and,wherever applicable, the required route permit. Drivers were also advisedto conduct a daily inspection of their vehicles before taking them on theroad.
