Drivers of Siliguri e-rickshaws have voiced their displeasure with the recent introduction of route-specific limitations. To oppose these new rules and call for a restoration to the old system, in which they were free to operate wherever in the city, they called a gathering.
In an effort to reduce traffic, the local government has implemented a color-coded sticker system to divide e-rickshaw routes. Drivers of e-rickshaws, however, assert that these new limitations have presented them with a number of difficulties. They said that they are not permitted to operate on the originally designated routes by the authorities. To express their complaints, these drivers recently organized a demonstration. The drivers had been promised a meeting to address the matter by the police after the demonstration. E-rickshaw drivers from different locations around the city convened at the Mahananda Riverbed on Sunday afternoon to plan their future steps in preparation of this meeting, which included Sudip Ghosh, the head of the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri E-Rickshaw Association.
