Chander Parkash
Tribune News Service
Located in the close vicinity of the Indo-Pak border, this small town famous for its wool market and 'juttis' (foot wears), became first town of the country where the eco-cab rickshaw named as 'Nano' has been introduced today by the Graduates Welfare Association Fazilka (GWAF).
The GWAF has already introduced eco-cab under its 'Dial-a Rickshaw' project, last year and it has been running successfully. The introduction of Nano rickshaw is done under the concept of modern transportation system in the city.
Navdeep Asija, secretary (Administration), GWAF, while talking to TNS today said that Nano rickshaw had been fitted with number of features to make it attractive, comfortable for the commuters and puller, road friendly and safe. He added that within a few months, the lanes and by-lanes Nano rickshaw of the city would be flooded with Nano rickshaw, exclusively produced by the GWAF.
He pointed out that design of Nano rickshaw was prepared by Kirti Dixit, a student M. Tech in the Industrial Designing of School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi. The model of Nano rickshaw from that design was prepared by him along with Bhupinder Singh, retired professor of IIT, Roorkee.
The Nano rickshaw is light in weight weighing around 55 kilograms as compared to 85 kilograms weight of normal rickshaw. It was fitted with roofs for saving the pullers and commuters from blistering sun and rains. The rickshaw was made of iron pipes instead of wooden sheets to increase its durability and to decrease its weight.
There would be enough space in the Nano rickshaw to keep luggage of the commuters. The ride on the rickshaw would be so comfortable that commuters could read while travelling on the same. The Nano rickshaw was fitted with reflector, which would make it safer on the roads.
The floor level of Nano rickshaw had been lowered than the floor level of normal rickshaw to enable the elderly people to climb on it with ease. The rear side of this rickshaw would be used for displaying the advertisements for business houses on rent basis.
Talks were going on with a Delhi-based bank to make arrangements for the soft loans for the rickshaw pullers of this town, who were now using wooden rickshaws made in Meerut and other parts of the country, to purchase Nano rickshaws.
He said that formal launching of Nano rickshaw would be done tonight.
