E-autos remain out of service as Rs. 30,000 subsidy per auto delayed in Kerala

A substantial number of e-autos, from among the 105 that were operating feeder trips from Kochi Metro stations, and were pulled out of service a year ago because of an alleged delay in getting the government subsidy of ₹30,000 per e-auto, continue to gather rust at different parking lots in the city.

Thirty of them were being operated by the Ernakulam Jilla Autorickshaw Drivers Cooperative Society (EJADCS), which had set apart ₹9 lakh as “working capital” to procure and operate them from metro stations.

“The four-year-long stalemate over getting the subsidy from the State government has created a ripple effect. The society had informed the firm concerned of the urgent need to source batteries for the autos, so that they could resume services. The continuing delay in disbursing the subsidy amount might affect their other components as well, causing further financial burden,” said Binu Varghese, an auto driver who is also one of the directors of the society.

The stalemate continues, despite the matter having been taken up with the Chief Minister, the Transport Minister and officials of the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) concerned. The society had applied for the subsidy as early as January 2023. The uncertainty over the subsidy for the e-autos under the EJADCS has, in turn, affected the society’s functioning, Mr. Varghese added.

Frustrated by the delay, the EJADCS approached the High Court, demanding the speedy transfer of the ₹9 lakh subsidy. It is also difficult to get drivers, since they can charge only the government-fixed fare from commuters, said sources associated with the operation of the feeder e-autos, which were procured to provide last-mile connectivity from metro stations to different parts of Greater Kochi.

Earlier this year, the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) had directed the EJADCS to remove e-autos parked at Kaloor metro station. This followed the circulation of misleading information on social media suggesting that the KMRL owned the autos, metro sources said.

Expressing dismay that a considerable number of the metro’s feeder e-autos remain out of service despite their popularity as a non-polluting mode of commute, D. Dhanuraj, chairman of the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), a city-based think tank, said Kochi Metro ought to learn from Chennai Metro, where there is no dearth of feeder autos at stations.

“It has to be remembered that these autos would help increase the patronage of Kochi Metro trains as well. Likewise, the viability issues ought to be worked out, so that drivers are confident of enrolling for the feeder service,” he added.