Praful C. Nagpal
Fazilka, June 18, 2008
To check pollution and enhance the beauty of Fazilka town, the Graduates Welfare Association (GWAF) has come up with an idea to put the town on the global map. According to a decision, the town has been linked with the Czech-based World Car Free Network, which already has 100 members. With this decision, each resident of the town will have access to rickshaw on telephone. The scheme will be launched on June 20, 2008.
The local Rickshaw Union is cooperating in the implementation of this scheme. Amit Thakral of the union is in charge of the project. Fazilka will be the first such town in India where rickshaw shall be available on telephone at the users’ point. There are about 500 rickshaw-pullers in Fazilka.
GWAF general secretary Navdeep Asija and Thakral said Fazilka had been divided into five zones-Sanjeev Cinema roundabout, Gaushalla Road, Bus Stand, Multani Chungi and Waan Bazaar. The rickshaw call centres would be established in each zone. A telephone would be installed at each call centre and any prospective user would get the facility of rickshaw at his home by making a call, they added.
The rickshawpuller would reach the desired point within 2 to 3 minutes after receiving the call. They said for every 1,500 houses, one call centre had been set up.
Asija and Thakral said the main reason for implementing the scheme was to enhance cleanliness and prevent pollution. They maintained that if the scheme was successful then about 900 litres of petrol and diesel could be saved and 14,000 kg of air pollution would be prevented.
The scheme is useful for this border town because to and fro distance between different offices here is around 3 km.
Asija also proposed that rickshawpullers should be given digital identity cards and advertisements of companies could also be put up on rickshaws and the income accrued from this could be used for the health insurance of rickshawpullers. The income should also be utilised for designing 50 per cent lighter rickshaws with more luggage space, he added.
Bhupinder Singh, patron, GWAF, and engineer from IIT, Roorkee, says that he is in touch with the TRIPP Department of the IIT, Delhi. This scheme will generate more employment avenues also.
