Electric autorickshaws won’t be allowed inside Mangaluru city

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner H. V. Darshan on October 30 announced that all electrical autorickshaws to be registered from October 31 will not be permitted to ply in Zone 1, that is Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) limits.

Issuing a notification under Section 115 of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act that empowers the government of Karnataka to restrict use of motor vehicles in specified areas, Mr. Darshan stated that enough number of autorickshaws were available for the residents of Mangaluru city.

For the estimated population of around 6 lakh, Mangaluru city has 10,500 autorickshaws — 6,949 LPG/CNG and 3,551 electric —which are more than sufficient, he said quoting reports from the police and MCC. Proliferation of new autorickshaws was also causing traffic snarls in many parts of the city, particularly the central business district, he said.

Following the August 10, 2023 judgment of High Court of Karnataka in a writ petition challenging the DC’s January 23, 2023, restrictions on electric autorickshaws, the administration had on July 26, 2024, allowed unrestricted operation of electric autorickshaws across Dakshina Kannada district.

The same was challenged before the High Court by conventional autorickshaw operators. On November 5, 2024, the court had directed the DC to consider their representation within eight weeks.

The conventional operators had opposed entry of electric autorickshaws into MCC limits stating that their operation without availing permits had denied a level-playing field.

Exemption

The administration had frozen the process of issuing new autorickshaw permits for MCC limits on July 1, 1997. However, when electric autorickshaws were introduced, the Union Road Transport Ministry had in July 2019 directed State Governments to exempt them from the requirements of passenger permit to facilitate proliferation of non-polluting vehicles.

Return of permit raj

In the light of consistent pressure by conventional autorickshaw operators of Mangaluru, the Karnataka Transport Department on July 1, 2025, withdrew the exemption for electric autorickshaws from obtaining passenger permit. The department also said that all electric autorickshaws — existing and new — should get permits free of any charge.

Using this condition of availing permit, the DC issued the October 30 order, denying permits to newly-registered autorickshaws in MCC limits.

Local conditions

Karnataka Transport Commissioner A. M. Yogeesh told The Hindu that DCs had inherent powers to restrict use of motor vehicles depending upon local conditions. Denying that permit exemption for electric autorickshaws was withdrawn to facilitate their regulation, the Commissioner said, even otherwise, a DC has the power to restrict movement of particular categories of vehicles in specific locations.