Kolkata's New E-Rickshaws Are A Fantastic, Eco-Friendly Addition To Fort William

Kolkata's New E-Rickshaws Are A Fantastic, Eco-Friendly Addition To Fort William

Earlier this week, Fort William of Kolkata from the 18th century, received a modern makeover - much needed for today’s time. According to the report by The Hindu, eco-friendly auto rickshaws have become the newest form of transport for the tourists and citizens visiting the 177-acre Fort premises.

These rickshaws are called ‘Totos’ which run on battery and function from 8 AM to 8 PM at the Fort. This wonderful e-transport has been initiated by the generous Army residing inside the Fort. “This is primarily a welfare service, not only for the benefit of the public but also for the boys who operate the rickshaws,” explains Col. Richard Fernandes, the Commanding Officer of 12 Garhwal Rifles.

The Hindu

Along with the environment, the public is benefiting by availing this inexpensive transport service that can take you anywhere around the Fort at a subsidized rate of Rs 2. Moreover, as stated by Col. Richard, this is also a boon for the boys who run the rickshaws.

“The drivers are not only paid Rs 3,000 every month [by the army] but also make additional money by providing the service to people,” adds Col. Fernandes. 19-year-old, Mritunjay Kumar, whose father is a civilian employee of the Army has been earning about 100-150 per day, which adds upto Rs 8,000 every month.

With the introduction of Vijay Smarak (War Memorial), in the Fort, it seems like the autowallahs will continue to earn more in the future. Incidentally, we hope that these e-rickshaws flourish further across other tourist spots in the country, minimising the environmental damage caused due to carbon emissions.

Read The Hindu’s full report here.

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