All Assam E-Rickshaw Drivers Union stage protest against harassment at Khanapara

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The All Assam E-Rickshaw Drivers Union sent a memorandum to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma through the office of the Transport Department at Khanapara on Thursday. The union's president, Biren Sharma, vice president, Naren Pathak, assistant secretary Lakshminath Chetia, and several other office-bearers addressed about 1,000 drivers present before handing over the memorandum. They said that for a long time, e-rickshaw drivers have been charged excessive fines, and if they fail to pay the fines, their vehicles are dumped in the Transport Department.

The drivers bought or are still buying pollution-free e-rickshaws through bank loans, land, or various other assets. E-rickshaws are completely pollution-free and are very popular vehicles for senior citizens, women, and students. If one such rickshaw is damaged, the drivers do not have the financial means to purchase another e-rickshaw. The e-rickshaws have been running for seven or eight years, and the rickshaw drivers have been supporting their families and educating their children with the money earned from these rickshaws. Many people have given up hope of jobs and have taken the e-rickshaw as their only source of income to support their families. Many drivers have a sensitive history with the purchase of an e-rickshaw. Thousands of e-rickshaws are being sold in the state, including in Guwahati.

It is worth mentioning that the drivers have been harassed in the sale and purchase of these e-rickshaws since the very beginning. The concerned department has not imposed any restrictions on the sale or purchase of e-rickshaws. The vehicle, which was purchased with great difficulty, has been restricted by various rules and regulations of the department. The government or the departmental authorities have not been able to properly inform the public about the rules and regulations of the vehicle. E-rickshaws have been providing an important service to the people in the absence of other vehicles for short-distance transportation.

They also demanded the intervention of the chief minister. They are demanding security for pollution-free e-rickshaw drivers, unconditionally releasing already stranded vehicles by the department as soon as possible, and removing the barriers to the movement of e-rickshaws in the suburbs of other cities, including Guwahati, besides implementing the motor workers welfare scheme.

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