[sustran] Global-observer Reinventing the rickshaw one city at a time

Asija, Navdeep navdeep.asija at gmail.com
Tue Nov 26 21:50:14 JST 2013


Smart Planet is a global publication focused on business, technology and
design.  With aim to showcase the best ideas emerging from international
markets through exclusive reportage, fresh perspectives and compelling
narratives. In this edition, they Published story on our Ecocabs. I can say
this is the best piece of article written and published by Smart Planet on
Ecocabs. Sharing with all of you. Hope you will enjoy reading.

Regards,

Navdeep Asija




http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/global-observer/reinventing-the-rickshaw-one-city-at-a-time/

by Betwa Sharma


> *DELHI -- A smile and mobile phone can boost incomes of cabbies at the
> world's first dial a rickshaw*


DELHI –- With air pollution in India found to be the worst in the world,
and government attempts to arrest the problem of vehicular congestion
falling short, concerned civilians are now making efforts to promote clean
modes of transportation.

Navdeep Asija, an entrepreneur and social activist, is attempting to revive
the cycle rickshaw as a trendy and green way to travel while generating
employment for the urban poor and keeping cars off the road for short
distances.

In 2008, he launched the world's first dial-a-cab service called Ecocabs in
a small town of 100,000 people called Fazilka in Punjab, on the border of
India and Pakistan.

In the face of environmental and health challenges, Asija popularized the
three-wheeled ride by making rickshaw pullers more accessible to customers
through mobile phone, a website and an Android app. The linking with
technology gave the old-fashioned rickshaw a trendy image as well.

“It is about mixing a traditional transport with modern technology for
digital empowerment,” said Asija. “It is about generating eco-friendly
employment for those with minimum level of skill.”

In April 2010, the governments of Punjab and Haryana adopted the Ecocab
model, which has now been replicated in 23 cities in both states. Other
state governments in India are also exploring the option. In December 2011,
Fazilka Ecocabs was awarded the National Award of Excellence in the area of
Non-Motor Transport. And now Asija is planning to bring the rickshaw
service to Delhi by the end of the year.

With cars and buses flooding Indian roads during the past two decade, the
rickshaw was pushed back into the narrow back lanes of big cities. This
year, for instance, the West Bengal government banned non-motorized
vehicles, leading to protests from environmentalists. In 2007, the Delhi
government also limited the number of rickshaw pullers in Delhi to 99,000
to make space for cars. But India’s Supreme Court in 2012 lifted the cap.
It is estimated that India currently has 10 million rickshaw pullers and
600,000 of them are in Delhi.

At the same time, it is estimated India has 100 million vehicles on the
road, and is expected to hit 450 million by 2020. Even the Delhi metro,
launched in 2006 to reduce dependence on vehicles, hasn't stopped the
city's economically mobile residents from buying cars. Delhi alone had more
than 7.4 million vehicles in 2012 and it adds 1,200 more every day. Air
pollution is now the fifth leading cause of death in India.

“Of course, the problem is very big but we have to start somewhere,” said
Asija, who hopes to see this Ecocab service in all Indian cities. “Today,
people will take out their car even to reach the market five minutes away.
This can be changed if the rickshaw puller can come quickly to your
doorstep.”

Ecocabs call center in Fazilka, Punjab

Residents using the service in Fazilika can phone seven tea shops serving
as call centers or the rickshaw puller directly. Since the majority of its
clients are women and the elderly, Ecocabs gets their rickshaw pullers
verified by the police to enhance security.

A similar setup has been planned for Delhi starting with three upscale
neighborhoods. Instead of tea shops, however, the watchman will double up
as a call center to process requests.

Rickshaw pullers in India earn an average salary of somewhere between 269
rupees and 179 rupees ($4.24 to $2.82) a day. The majority of them don’t
own a rickshaw but rent for 30 to 50 rupees a day.

The income for the 400 rickshaw pullers working for the Ecocabs service,
Asija estimated, can be 25 percent more than what they were making before.
This is possible especially for those rickshaw pullers who build a strong
customer base by being punctual and having pleasant manners. “Like any
service, hard work is rewarded,” he said.

And now fancy rickshaws equipped with FM radio, a water bottle and a
newspaper stand are entering the market. These “glamorized” rickshaws,
Asija said, can even earn about 600 rupees a day. For the most part,
Ecocabs has been using rickshaws and mobile phones already owned by the
cyclists. But it also involves buying new rickshaws for about 13,000 rupees
($205), which are funded by donations of professionals who form the
Graduate Welfare Association of Fazilka. These rickshaw pullers are
expected to pay back the costs of the rickshaw over time, which works out
to about 20 rupees a day -- less expensive than renting.

Madan Kranti, a 42-year-old rickshaw puller, added that these new
contraptions were at least 35 kilograms lighter and easier to ride, even
though they accommodate four people instead of two. And more passengers
means more income. “People really like the new look and they take the
rickshaw often,” he said.

Kranti, who has been a rickshaw puller for 12 years, said his income has
gone up from 3,000 rupees ($47) a month to 6,000 rupees ($95) since he
joined Ecocab service in July. "I like it a lot. I already have three or
four regular people and it's a good relationship," he said. "They tend to
give 10 or 20 bucks extra even for short distances.”

Shiv Kumar Mandal, another Ecocabs employee in Chandigarh, said that the
new design of rickshaws had become a craze. "One day, there were four or
five people fighting to get a ride. I was able to charge 40 rupees (63
cents) instead of 20 or 30," he said. "On such days, I can make almost 500
rupees ($7)."

One of his regular clients, Ashok Kumar, a ward attendant at a local
hospital, said that connecting with Mandal over the phone was really
convenient. "Sometimes my shift finishes really late in the night but he
always comes when I call. It's the best part of this whole service," he
said.

In bigger cities like Delhi and Chandigarh, Ecocabs also earns revenue by
using the rickshaw for advertising, fetching about 1,000 rupees a month. In
a commercial operation, a percentage of the revenue is given to the
rickshaw pullers in cash. Ecocabs, however, uses the money to pay for their
insurance and provide free medical aid up to the cost of 30,000 rupees as
well as investing in a government pension scheme.

And with Asija planning to bring Ecocabs to service prominent residential
areas, rickshaws seem poised to leave the confines of Delhi's back lanes.
“Our larger goal is not just to provide employment but to bring dignity
back into this occupation and the whole community,” he said.


Photos: Ecocabs
Nov 14, 2013


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