3 ms·
> It’s messy, improvised and driven by the people. The government and vehicle makers are now trying to gain some control over it. This is a good introduction b
by mastazi 7y ago
> It’s messy, improvised and driven by the people. The government and vehicle makers are now trying to gain some control over it.
This is a good introduction but the rest of the article seems to side heavily with the latter (vehicle makers and startups like SmartE) while criticising the "homebrew" market for being "disorganised".
I'm going to disagree for two reasons:
1. From a workers rights point of view, I'm not sure that drivers renting their vehicle from a startup is better than drivers owning their own ride.
2. On a technological level a varied market with many alternatives can sometimes better facilitate innovation as opposed to an oligopoly limited to 2-3 larger actors.
Disclaimer: I know nothing about India in general, so my opinion is that of an uninformed external observer.
- pramit 7y agoI agree.
- abhiminator 7y ago>1. From a workers rights point of view, I'm not sure that drivers renting their vehicle from a startup is better than drivers owning their own ride. I agree with the gist of your comment, however, given that the majority of drivers in India are illiterate and not economically well off (especially considering the maintenance costs as a % of the vehicle's initial MSP), I think it makes sense for them to rent the e-rickshaws out from a centralized provider/operator -- initially, at least -- until the drivers reach a certain level of economic prosperity and familiarity with the technology. Another option could be the mass training of vocational technicians and other auxiliary support staff in a co-operative framework to keep the whole operation running, thereby creating a ton of good, decently-paying side jobs in the process.