Pune Railway Station’s Prepaid Rickshaw Service at Risk as 100-Day Term Expires

Pune, 31st October 2024: After four years of dedicated effort, the prepaid rickshaw service at Pune Railway Station is now facing an uncertain future. The 100-day term for the service has expired, making today the last day for prepaid rickshaws. If the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) does not extend the deadline, the service may be interrupted again, severely impacting regular passengers.

The prepaid rickshaw service was launched under the ‘Ricksha Mitra’ initiative by Dr. Keshav Kshirsagar, aimed at protecting passengers arriving at Pune Railway Station from financial exploitation and overcharging. The service was inaugurated on July 27 by Maharashtra’s Minister of Higher and Technical Education, Chandrakant Patil, and implemented through the ‘Pravasi Sangh.’ Initially, the service was given a term of 100 days, which has now come to an end. However, no decision has yet been made regarding an extension. If the prepaid rickshaw system is discontinued, passengers may face significant inconveniences.

Prepaid rickshaws provide safe and timely transportation, with fares regulated by set rules. Approximately 1,200 rickshaw drivers are registered to serve at the station, with around 600 actively operating through the prepaid system, catering to about 2,000 passengers daily.

Manoj Patil, Additional Commissioner of Pune Police, stated, “The prepaid service was launched with the approval of the Pune RTO. Their approval is still required, and we will make every effort to ensure there is no interruption in service.”

Dr. Keshav Kshirsagar, Director of Kevolution Technologies Private Limited in Pune, added, “A letter has been sent to the traffic police and RTO officials to ensure that prepaid rickshaw services are not disrupted. However, no response has been received so far. It has been suggested that extending the deadline is difficult due to the code of conduct. If no approval is granted, the service will have to cease from today.”