JAMMU, Oct 11: In a welcome decision, Dr. Rakesh Minhas, IAS, District Magistrate Jammu, and Chairman Regional Transport Authority, Jammu, to keep check on uncontrolled movement of e-Rickshaws, directed that:
All e-rickshaws, e-autos and e-carts shall operate strictly within their allotted zones as enlisted below and inter-zone movement shall not be permitted under any circumstances;
Traffic City South Jammu Zone-1 Pink
Traffic City North Jammu Zone-2 Blue
Akhnoor (Rural) Zone-3 Yellow
R.S. Pura (Rural) Zone-4 Red
Marh (Rural) Zone-5 Green
Nagrota (Rural) Zone-6 Black
Each e-rickshaw, e-auto and e-cart shall display zone-wise colour-coded identification plates on both the front and rear sides (reference photo enclosed as annexure A). Installation shall be completed within seven (07) days from the date of issuance of this order and any e-rickshaws, e-autos and e-carts found plying without the designated colour-coded plates after deadline shall be seized and penalized under the relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Rules.
No e-rickshaw, e-auto or e-cart shall be permitted to operate on any Flyover, National Highway, or State Highway within the territorial limits of District Jammu. This restriction is imposed in the interest of public safety and smooth vehicular movement, in exercise of powers under Section 35 of the Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002 read with Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, wherein e-rickshaws and similar vehicles are defined as slow-moving vehicles with a maximum speed not exceeding 25 km/h, rendering them unsuitable for operation on high-speed or access-controlled corridors.
As per directions the following crossings are approved for safe and controlled movement of e-rickshaws, e-autos and e-carts between operational areas: i. Amphalla Hospital crossing towards District Jail. ii. Bakshi Nagar crossing towards old Shakuntala Theatre. iii. KC Theatre (Backside) crossing towards Shalamar Children Hospital. iv. Hotel Asia crossing towards District Police Line. v. Shastri Nagar Cremation Ground crossing towards Shiksha Niketan School. vi. Marble Market crossing towards Greater Kailash. vii. Kunjwani crossing towards Greater Jammu.
E-rickshaws, e-autos and e-carts registered outside District Jammu are strictly prohibited from operating within the Jammu city limits and joint enforcement teams shall take immediate and strict action against violators. It is further ordered that: Joint Enforcement Teams shall be constituted comprising officials from: ● Traffic Police, ● RTO Jammu, and ● Concerned Tehsildars. These teams shall ensure: i. Checking unregistered and unauthorized e-rickshaws; ii. Restricting overcharging by operators; iii. Enforcing zoning regulations and penalizing violations; iv. Monitoring vehicle dealers to ensure all new registrations are zone-wise; and v. Preventing seasonal migration of e-rickshaws from other districts during winter months. This order shall be implemented with effect from 23-10-2025 for an initial period of three (03) months, after which the same shall be reviewed based on compliance and stakeholder feedback. Any person, firm, or agency found violating this order shall be liable for penal action under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and other applicable laws.
The decisions were taken in view of rapid and significant increase in the number of e-rickshaws, e-autos and e-carts operating in Jammu city, resulting in traffic congestion, unregulated movement, lack of route discipline and instances of overcharging, thereby adversely affecting the safety and convenience of commuters and series of meetings have been convened under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, to address the issue of uncontrolled and unregulated movement of e-rickshaws, e-autos and e-carts within District Jammu
In the last meeting in this regard was held on 10-07-2025, wherein various directions were issued to streamline their operation and ensure compliance with existing transport norms.
The primary objective is to promote safe, disciplined and smooth traffic flow in Jammu city through joint efforts of the Transport Department, Traffic Police, Enforcement Agencies and Transport Unions; And whereas, for the purpose of this order, E-rickshaw, e-auto and e-cart shall have the same meaning as assigned to them under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the rules made thereunder.
Vide Order No. 51/DCJ of 2022-23 dated 21-09-2022 (Annexure-A), operational zones for e-rickshaws, e-autos and e-carts were notified, which have been directed to be implemented in letter and spirit.
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