Unverified e-rickshaws from border districts flood Lko streets

Hundreds of e-rickshaws from the border districts are operating in Lucknow, adding to the city’s existing fleet of unverified vehicles. Many of these e-rickshaws have been spotted on major routes across the city.

According to recent data shared by the regional transport office (RTO) with HT, around 60,000 passenger e-rickshaws ply the streets of Lucknow.

“Now, e-rickshaws from Chandigarh are running on routes such as Hahnemann Chauraha to Chinhat Tiraha, while vehicles from other districts and states are seen on Balaji Temple to Rajajipuram Tempo Stand, Awadh Canal Chauraha to Dubagga Road, and Alambagh Chauraha to Talkatora Road,” said Pankaj Dixit, chairman of the Lucknow Auto Rickshaw Three-Wheelers’ Association (LARTS).

In a crackdown last week under the ‘Surakshit Safar Abhiyan’ drive, city police identified and sent back over 40 autorickshaws from other districts operating without valid permits. “Documents such as driving licenses, registration certificates (RC), and insurance were checked, and necessary action was taken,” said deputy commissioner of police (South) Nipun Agarwal.

Deputy commissioner of police (Crime) Kamlesh Kumar Dixit noted that many of these vehicles belonged to border districts such as Unnao, Barabanki, Rae Bareli, Sitapur, and Hardoi. “Since these e-rickshaws operate deep inside the city, they often evade detection, and enforcement remains weak. Stronger cooperation from auto and tempo unions could make crackdowns more effective,” he added.

Starting April 1, the state government will launch a statewide crackdown on unverified and illegal e-rickshaws and auto-rickshaws. The transport department will conduct enforcement drives following chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s directive to tighten regulations after a 32-year-old woman from Ayodhya was abducted and murdered by auto-rickshaw drivers near Alambagh bus stop.