Ecocabs,an answer to rising fuel prices

The union members complained that banks deny them loan and if sanctioned,it is at more than 10 per cent interest rate. Following this,an offer was made to the rickshaw pullers,whereby,only 4 per cent interest will be charged by banks,besides the Rs 1 lakh life insurance. A bank manager,Kuldeep Singh Grewal,said: “We have made the formalities very easy. Now,rickshaw pullers will not have to submit many documents.”

The union members also demanded that the annual fees charged by MC as license fee should be waived off. They further said that as many as 125 MC rickshaw stands in different parts of the city have either been encroached upon or been sold.

Navdeep Asija,Secretary of Graduates Welfare Association of Fazilka (GWAF) — the brain behind these light weight ecocabs — said: “Rickshaw pullers are doing a good job by saving fuel and protecting the environment. We need to encourage them by providing better models.”

Several industrialists,who are manufacturing ecocabs,participated in the meeting. They assured that the average price of these rickshaws will not be more than Rs 5,000. Already,ecocabs are plying successfully in Fazilka,Patiala and Amritsar.

In the second phase of the project,the facility of “dial a rickshaw” will also be introduced. At present,more than 40,000 rickshaws ply on Ludhiana roads.