Recently, many people who have returned from foreign employment have been operating city rickshaws.
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It has been found that 80 percent of drivers who earn a living by operating electric rickshaws in the country's Terai region are unlicensed. A survey conducted by two different organizations found that 80 percent do not have a driver's license.
A survey conducted by ‘Vikalp and Alternative’ and ‘Unnat Niti Institute’ found that most of them drive rickshaws without a license. The study team concluded that drivers face administrative hassles and other problems during accidents due to not having a driver’s license.
Basanta Adhikari, director of ‘Vikalp and Alternative’, said that a survey conducted among 963 e-rickshaw drivers in various districts found that many people operate e-rickshaws without a license. He said, ‘It has been seen that city rickshaw drivers have to go to jail in case of accidents due to lack of a license. On the other hand, we found that they are displaced from their profession due to inability to pay compensation. The aim of our study is to simplify the licensing process.’
Since city rickshaws are not large and complex vehicles, the problem can be solved by eliminating the written examination system and issuing mandatory licenses through training and trial exams, according to the survey. Adhikari said that with the increasing number of rickshaws, problems have been seen in matters such as registration, licensing, insurance and traffic management.
Niti Institute Director Suresh Sapkota said that 62 percent of rickshaw drivers in Bhairahawa, Rupandehi alone do not have a driving license. According to him, a survey was conducted with more than 150 rickshaw drivers in Bhairahawa. In the process, it was found that more than 62 percent do not have a driving license.
According to this organization, about 78 percent of drivers in Koshi Province do not have a license. The survey showed that 81 percent in Madhesh Province and more than 96 percent in Nepalgunj, Lumbini alone do not have a license.
During the study conducted by the two organizations, it was seen that many drivers have to go to jail, not get insurance, get traffic fines, not get compensation and have to be displaced from their profession due to not having a license. Along with this, it has been found that family livelihood is also at risk.
During the study, many people who have recently returned from foreign employment have been operating city rickshaws. The organization states that more than 200,000 such rickshaws are operating across the country, and 1 million families are dependent on them.
