New Delhi: To provide last-mile connectivity to commuters, an e-auto service will be launched at Saket, Hauz Khas and Malviya Nagar metro stations in the coming months. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is also taking steps to extend the service to a few more stations.
E-autos are already operating at Azadpur, Dwarka, Dwarka Sector 21, Majlis Park and Janakpuri West stations. DMRC deploys private operators to provide last-mile connectivity, but gives space to them to park e-autos and earmarks a dedicated pickup and drop lane.
The Delhi transport department has allotted 2,299 e-auto permits, 663 women and 1,636 general, to DMRC for the service. While six operators have been selected for 1,616 permits, DMRC has recently floated fresh tenders for the remaining 683 permits.
“ETO Motors Pvt Ltd is operating 300 e-autos under the women’s category at Azadpur and Majlis Park stations, while Sun Mobility Pvt Ltd has been running 138 vehicles under the general quota in Dwarka from Dwarka Sector 21, Dwarka and Janakpuri West stations,” said a DMRC official.
The official added that Mahindra and Amplus had been allotted 100 e-autos, 50 women and 50 general, to operate at Saket, Hauz Khas and Malviya Nagar stations. “Three operators, Navnirman, Trinity Cleantech & Champion Polyplast, have been selected through an expression of interest (EOI) and 380 e-auto permits have been allotted, for which the registration of e-autos are under process,” said the official, adding that a fresh EOI had been floated recently for 683 e-autos — 546 under general and 137 under women categories.
Before e-autos, DMRC had introduced electric feeder buses in the national capital for last-mile connectivity. However, the buses were found unviable as they were running “under capacity and were underutilised”, said DMRC officials. Since the ridership became a concern, DMRC handed over 100 such buses to Delhi government earlier this year. The utilisation rate is much better for e-autos for last-mile connectivity while buses are a good option for the city transport, an official had said earlier.
