New Delhi: This year, accidents caused by negligent and reckless driving by e-rickshaw drivers have claimed three lives on an average each month. The most recent victim — an eight-year-old girl who lost her life when an e-rickshaw overturned in northeast Delhi’s Jafrabad last week.Delhi Traffic Police data shows that between Jan 1 and Aug 20, e-rickshaws were involved in 108 road accidents, resulting in 26 deaths and 130 injuries. The highest number of deaths — nine — occurred in the northern range, which includes areas such as Model Town, Ashok Vihar, Samaypur Badli, Narela and Rohini. The western range, covering Dwarka, Najafgarh, Nangloi and Punjabi Bagh, reported seven fatalities, while the eastern range, including Shahdara, Gandhi Nagar and Bhajanpura, saw four deaths. The remaining six fatalities were reported from other traffic circles across the city.Delhi officially has about 1.2 lakh registered e-rickshaws, but the actual number on the streets may be nearly double. According to traffic police, e-rickshaws frequently operate in areas where they are not legally permitted, primarily to pick up more passengers and maximise their earnings. This practice not only violates traffic regulations, but also significantly increases dangers on the road.The vehicles, said traffic police, are frequently driven recklessly and negligently, with little regard for safety. This puts pedestrians, other motorists as well as e-rickshaw passengers at serious risk. In March, a 10-year-old girl, Shivanya, died after being crushed by an e-rickshaw in Jailorwala Bagh, northwest Delhi’s Ashok Vihar, while she was playing in the neighbourhood.Additional commissioner of police (traffic) Dinesh Gupta said they have undertaken efforts aimed at curbing illegal operations and enhancing road safety in the city. “Extensive drives have been launched to check e-rickshaws operating in non-designated areas. Drivers without proper vehicle registration face seizure of their three-wheelers. E-rickshaw drivers are also being booked for traffic violations, such as jumping traffic signals and driving on the wrong side of the road,” he said.According to road safety experts, a major factor contributing to accidents involving e-rickshaws is their flawed design, which is not suited to the conditions of the roads they travel on. Anil Chhikara, former transport commissioner of Delhi, said these vehicles are inherently “unbalanced” and “lack essential safety features”.“One critical issue is their uneven braking system — while e-rickshaws have mechanical brakes on three wheels, if even one wheel fails to respond properly during braking, the vehicle is likely to overturn,” he pointed out.Moreover, these vehicles often do not undergo proper fitness checks, which means they are poorly maintained and more prone to mechanical failures, said Chhikara. “Compounding the problem is the fact that many e-rickshaw drivers do not receive adequate training, leaving them ill-equipped to handle the vehicle safely in challenging traffic conditions,” he added.Experts also highlighted the poor quality of materials and equipment used in manufacturing e-rickshaws. Sharp metallic edges on square pipes pose serious risks of head injuries, while open sides at entry and exit points increase the danger of passengers falling out and suffering head trauma upon hitting the road. On Aug 28, a driver died after the handle of his e-rickshaw broke and detached in northeast Delhi’s Welcome area, causing him to fall and sustain fatal injuries. There is a glaring lack of safety measures in place. In Jan this year, a 15-year-old boy lost his life while attempting dangerous stunts on an e-rickshaw in Kapashera. The teenager was performing the stunts for content to post on Instagram reels when the vehicle lost balance and toppled over, leading to his untimely death. Since 2021, a total of 777,853 e-rickshaws have been prosecuted for violating traffic safety norms, underscoring the widespread nature of these safety concerns.
