Slow e-rickshaws on Nagpur flyovers pose risk of major accidents, residents say

As flyovers come up rapidly across Nagpur to ease traffic jams, signals and accidents, the movement of e-rickshaws on them has become a major road safety concern. It is being said that these e-rickshaws, which are unsafely built and crawl in a zigzag manner, could at any time become the 100 per cent cause of a major accident. Both the police and the administration are ignoring the danger.

The complaint is that, as on the city's roads, e-rickshaw drivers show no fear of traffic rules on the flyovers either. Carrying more passengers than permitted, turning or changing lanes suddenly without indicating, and attempting to overtake have become routine. Flyovers have limited width. When an e-rickshaw moves slowly in the middle of the road, drivers coming from behind lose control in a rush and meet with accidents.

The difference in speed is also large. Four-wheelers, buses and cars on flyovers travel at 60 to 80 km per hour. On an incline, an e-rickshaw's speed drops to 10 to 15 km per hour. If an e-rickshaw is suddenly seen crawling ahead, vehicles speeding from behind have no time to brake. The danger increases on flyovers with inclines and descents. E-rickshaws were designed for narrow, slow-speed inner areas of the city.

The build of the e-rickshaw also adds to the risk. It has neither a sturdy metal body nor doors to protect passengers. Even a light hit from a car or truck from behind could make an e-rickshaw collapse like a house of cards. Those seated in it could fall off the flyover or be crushed. The danger is thus not only to the driver but also to the passengers.

The flyovers mentioned include Ramjhula, Sitabuldi, the Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar flyover, the Gyanyogi Dr Shrikant Jichkar Sadar flyover, the double-decker flyover on Kamptee Road and the double-decker flyover on Wardha Road. It is said that the crawling of e-rickshaws on all of these invites a major accident.

The demand is that e-rickshaws be banned from flyovers altogether. The argument is that the purpose of a flyover is to take vehicles to their destination without obstruction, and that with slow e-rickshaws removed, the chances of accidents would fall many times over. Nagpur is called a smart city, but if there is no traffic discipline on flyovers, claims of safety are meaningless.

The city traffic police, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and the local administration have been asked to stop waiting for accidents to happen. As long as e-rickshaws continue to be allowed on flyovers, the lives of innocent people will remain at risk. The administration must decide whether a flyover is meant for fast and smooth traffic or for a display of cheap accidents. It has been suggested that e-rickshaws be restricted to the service roads below.