Cycle rickshaws have made their entry into roads around New Market, Lindsay Street and the surrounding areas in central Kolkata to drop or pick up passengers.
Traffic rules bar cycle rickshaws from plying within the city except for the “added areas”, which became part of the Kolkata municipal area later. Wards 101 to 144 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), which cover places in Kasba, Behala and Garden Reach, are referred to as ‘added areas’.
The Telegraph found two cycle rickshaws on Lindsay Street on Thursday afternoon. Both had come to drop passengers in New Market. The rickshaw pullers refused to talk. Both of them went towards Free School Street.
These are not stray cases. A resident of Chandni Chowk in central Kolkata reported seeing two cycle rickshaws on Lindsay Street on Monday.
The Calcuttan, who was in New Market on Monday evening, saw two cycle rickshaws dropping passengers on Lindsay Street. He took a picture of one of the cycle rickshaws. “I was in New Market on Monday when I came across two cycle rickshaws. I have never seen cycle rickshaws in New Market before.”
Regular visitors to New Market said they were not surprised as many others as cycle rickshaws have been plying in the zone for quite some time.
Ashok Gupta, a trader in New Market, said: “I have seen cycle rickshaws plying on Lindsay Street or Bertram Street a few times. Hand-pulled rickshaws are allowed but not cycle rickshaws but they are there.”
An officer of the south traffic guard of Kolkata police said he was not aware of the fact that cycle rickshaws were plying in the New Market area. The south traffic guard is responsible for managing traffic in this area.
“I have not come across cycle rickshaws in the New Market area,” said the officer. “We will ensure that cycle rickshaws do not enter the area.”
Another officer of the police’s traffic wing said the police could confiscate the rickshaws. “The penal measure is very strict. The rickshaws are confiscated and not returned.”
All the police officers spoke on condition of anonymity.
