In the busy street of Biratnagar, Birgunj, and other urban cities in Nepal, city rickshaws are more than just a means of transportation, but they are a lifeline for thousands of drivers and their families. These three-wheeled vehicles not only run through narrow streets, but they also provide affordable transportation for all people in cities, uplifting the standards of city drivers. Despite having many advantages, city drivers are facing the crucial problem of getting the license to drive it. For many rickshaw drivers, a license is not just a legal requirement – it is a “license to live.”
City Rickshaws are affordable, eco-friendly, and accessible, making them an excellent choice for short distance travel. Most of the drivers are from marginalized and low-earning communities, for whom these rickshaws provide a vital source to sustain their families. However, their survival is in high threat due to the complexities of obtaining a driving license. In Nepal, getting driving license must go through a set of procedure. This process involves a written test, medical test, registration fee and practical exams. Additionally, the bureaucratic process is often unorganized, and it might take years to obtain a license even if you pass the entire test.
A decade ago, city rickshaws were not in existence. People used to travel through peddle rickshaws, which seemed to be inhuman and costly compared to these electric vehicles. But when city rickshaws entered the market and common people started preferring it, due to their effectiveness, peddle rickshaws slowly disappeared from the market as city rickshaws replaced them. Due to this reason, the majority of peddle rickshaw’s drivers lost their jobs, compelling them to switch to electric rickshaw in order to survive.
At first, the government also didn’t impose much restriction for city rickshaw. As the days passed, the government started intervening by making the restriction in the registration of new city rickshaws, separating the routes, and even banning them from running on the main highway. Despite all these government restrictions, city rickshaws are growing day by day due to their effectiveness. According to Rajan Poudel, Head of Biratnagar Metro Police at present there are around 15,000 rickshaws that run daily on the busy road of Biratnagar.
Operating a rickshaw without a valid license is illegal, yet many drivers have no choice but to do so. In the absence of driving license, they are not supposed to drive their rickshaws, but they have no choice, and the concerned authorities are also keeping their eyes closed on this because this is directly associated with the livelihood of more than a hundred thousand people and millions of Nepalese commuters all over Nepal. As I previously said, most of the city drivers are shifted from peddle rickshaw, and most of them are illiterate who can’t pass the written exam. This is the reason why despite of having proper skills for driving the vehicle they are lacking their driving license.
To address the challenges faced by e-rickshaw drivers, the government must take the issues seriously andimplement reforms that make the licensing process more accessible and affordable to illiterate drivers. As many rickshaw drivers have transitioned from pedal rickshaws to city rickshaws and most of these drivers have little or no formal education, they struggle with reading, writing, and understanding complex traffic rules on paper they often face challenges in passing the written test required for a driving license. To make the process easier, the government should introduce alternative evaluation methods that assess their practical knowledge and driving skills effectively. Instead of a written test, drivers should have a verbal interview, where they can explain their understanding of traffic rules, road safety, and driving ethics. This would be a more suitable way to test their knowledge without requiring writing skills. Alternatively, the government can eliminate the written test for the e-rickshaw drivers and give the license based on the result of the practical test which is applicable in the case of tractors.
For rickshaw drivers in Nepal, a driving license is more than a piece of paper to drive their rickshaw —it is a ticket to a better life. It is security, dignity, and the opportunity to earn a livelihood without fear. By addressing the barriers to obtaining licenses, Nepal government can empower these low-income earners and support their livelihood and job opportunity which plays a vital role to uplift the living standard of common Nepalese. After all, a license to drive is a license to survive.
