To ease CNG cost burden, auto drivers eye electric rickshaws

Ahmedabad's largest autorickshaw driver's association has signed an agreement with a Japanese company for 500 electric-powered autorickshaws, which the company says can run 50 kms on a single battery charge.

This comes nearly a month after a three-day strike by the city autorickshaw operators against a Rs 7.15 per kg hike in the CNG price without a corresponding increase in fares.

"The price of battery and charges for swapping at the swapping centres established across Ahmedabad would not be changed arbitrarily like the prices of CNG and other fuels. If necessitated, the hike would be done only after discussing the issues with Ahmedabad Auto Rickshaw Chalak Sangharsh Samiti (AARCSS)," specifies the agreement signed Monday between the AARCSS and Smart Grid Private Limited (SGPL), a company promoted by the vehicle's manufacturers Myway Plus Corporation, a Japanese firm.

AARCSS plans to launch the service, with three and seven passengers capacity, on August 15.

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