West Bengal town implements odd-even for e-rickshaws

The rule was implemented in Kanthi town in Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal from Monday onwards and serial numbers were provided to nearly 1,900 e-rickshaws.
Image for representational purpose only
Image for representational purpose only

KOLKATA: A non-descriptive town in West Bengal has followed the footsteps of national capital Delhi in implementing the odd-even rule to ease traffic woes. However, there is a catch: the rule applies not to cars but to the town’s burgeoning electronic rickshaws.

The rule was implemented in Kanthi town in Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal from Monday onwards and serial numbers were provided to nearly 1,900 e-rickshaws (locally called ‘totos’) of Kanthi 1, Kanti 2 and Deshpran blocks plying in Kanthi town. While odd numbered-stickers are yellow-coloured , the even numbered-stickers are green-coloured.

While the first two weeks would be reserved for the odd number e-rickshaws, the even number e-rickshaws will ply the streets in the last two weeks. “The town has been suffering from severe traffic jams due to a substantial rise in the numbers of totos. The people of the town had been demanding regulation of the totos. Hence, we took this decision, which is first-of-its-kind in West Bengal, to regulate the traffic and reduce the jams,” said Kanthi municipality chairman Soumendu Adhikari.

Adhikari claims that since the implementation, the traffic situation has bettered over the past two days. Some locals also supported his claim. “There are a lesser number of totos on the narrow streets which is why there are lesser traffic jams and more space for people to walk,” local resident Samiran Bera said.

Kolkata-based urban planner Aniruddha Khandelwal says that while Kanthi learnt from Delhi, the national capital can also learn a lesson or two from this tiny town. “According to some estimates, only 15,000 of the over 1 lakh e-rickshaws plying Delhi streets are registered. Despite Delhi High Court directing authorities to enforce the registration of the e-rickshaws, it is alleged that much is yet to be achieved. If the administration brings e-rickshaws under the ambit of the odd-even rule and provides them with coloured stickers like in Kanthi, they can reduce the menace and nab those illegally plying without the stickers.”

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