E-rickshaws have proliferated in India over the last 5-10 years. These battery-run three-wheelers are a pollution-free substitute for auto-rickshaws and have overtaken the last-mile connectivity market. However, these battery-driven rickshaws have limitations — they are slow, and their outer body is fragile. These limitations can lead to higher congestion on the road, especially during peak travel times. Higher congestion can be costly in two ways — firstly, it adds to time costs, and secondly, it increases pollution by other vehicles as they stay longer on the road. In this project, the researcher plans to measure these congestion costs in partial equilibrium by changing the supply of e-rickshaws on the road through an incentivized intervention.
Projects / Pollution, Climate & Human Health
Green menace: E-rickshaws, congestion, and pollution
This research project aims to evaluate the effects of altering the number of e-rickshaws present on the roads, with a focus on assessing its impact on the level of traffic congestion and pollution.