Govt bans plying of e-rickshaws on highways in state, cites safety risks

Patna: The govt has issued an order banning the plying of e-rickshaws on national and state highways across Bihar, directing district transport officers to enforce the restriction with immediate effect.

According to the transport department’s order, around 10,000km of highways in the state will now be off-limits to e-rickshaws. This includes 3,617km of state highways and 6,389km of national highways. In Patna, the ban will be enforced on key arterial routes such as the New Bypass, Bihta-Sarmera Road, Patna-Gaya Road and the Phulwarisharif-Danapur-Bihta road.

Explaining the rationale behind the decision, transport minister Shravan Kumar said e-rickshaws were unsafe on highways that are designed for high-speed traffic. He said highways are meant for vehicles such as trucks, buses and cars, and the presence of slow-moving e-rickshaws increases the risk of accidents.

The minister said e-rickshaws do not have a strong braking system to handle sudden stops or sharp turns at high speeds, posing a threat to both passengers and other road users. The order also mentioned that their low speed makes them vulnerable on highways and can lead to damage to lives and property.

Along with e-rickshaws, the govt has decided to impose a complete ban on jugaad vehicles. These vehicles, often assembled from scrap materials such as motorcycle engines and wooden planks, are commonly used in rural areas to transport people and goods.

Officials said jugaad vehicles operate without registration, fitness certificates or insurance, which is a direct violation of the Motor Vehicles Act. They said such vehicles do not meet prescribed technical or safety standards, increasing the risk of accidents manifold. Brake systems in these vehicles are unreliable, and essential safety features such as lights and indicators are usually missing.

While the govt has defended the decision on safety grounds, the ban has triggered widespread concern among e-rickshaw operators and passengers, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas where these vehicles serve as a vital mode of transport.

The restriction is expected to affect thousands of drivers who depend on e-rickshaws for their daily income. Many drivers said they were already struggling due to strict enforcement drives in recent months and feared that the new order would further erode their livelihoods.

General secretary of the E-rickshaw Drivers’ Association Himanshu Kumar criticised the decision, calling it politically motivated.

“The decision is completely politically motivated. Other associations related to auto-rickshaws and cabs want the plying of e-rickshaws to be completely banned on the road. There are around 18,000-20,000 e-rickshaws operating in Patna district, and the decision would affect around 8,000 of them. There are more than 3 lakh e-rickshaws operating in the state,” he said.

Passengers, too, expressed concern over the impact of the ban on daily mobility. Rajesh Gupta, a resident of the Kankarbagh area, said people living along bypass stretches would face serious difficulties, as auto-rickshaws do not operate inside many residential localities.

Highlighting the affordability of e-rickshaws, Ramesh Sinha, a resident of Naubatpur, said, “E-rickshaws are a cheaper medium of transport for lower-income groups. If we have to reach Bairiya bus stand or Patna Junction with family and luggage, then hiring an e-rickshaw is cheaper than autos.”

With highways now closed to e-rickshaws, commuters fear they will be forced to depend on costlier or less convenient transport options, while drivers worry about losing access to key routes that sustain their earnings.