Crossing the First Checkpoint

(Dr. Gyan Singh's Point of View.)

The Boat started.

The docks gate opened and our boat went out of the dock. We were going back. I was surprised about everything that occurred on these few days. I was sitting next to Mr. Ajay Kumar. Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri was siting on the seat on the opposite side. Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri was siting alone. The sea bishop who was standing holding the handle that was attached to the roof of the motor boat came and sat on the seat next to Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri.

"Mr. Ganesh Prasad Lakshman Prasad Hanumaan Chettri Ji (Ji is used in hindi in place of respected sir), what are you going to do after reaching home?" asked Mr. Ajay Kumar.

"Tell everyone about my name." Answered Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri.

"What!?" Asked Mr. Ajay Kumar in surprise.

"His name is Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri and not Mr. Ganesh Prasad Lakshman Prasad Hanumaan Chettri." I replied.

"Really!?" asked Mr. Ajay Kumar.

"Yes." Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri replied.

"So, Dr. Gyan Singh when did you come to know about it?" Asked Mr. Ajay Kumar.

"The day we were leaving the island." I answered.

"How?" asked Mr. Ajay.

"We made a raft to escape from the island then we found east with help of sun. We took our items and put it in the boat. Then we sat on the boat. "Let's go Mr. Ganesh Prasad Lakshman Prasad Hanumaan Chettri." I spoke.

"Sorry, Dr. Gyan Singh, actually my name is Mr Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri and not Mr. Ganesh Prasad Lakshman Prasad Hanumaan Chettri. I am observing that everyone was confused and calling my name wrong. I wanted to tell this from long time, but now I got the chance." Replied Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri.

"Oh, sorry Mr. Ganesh Prasad Lakshman Prasad Hanumaan Chettri, I mean Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri." I apologized.

Then we started our journey back." I answered.

"Ok, sorry Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri Ji (Ji is used in hindi in place of respected sir)." Mr. Ajay Kumar apologized.

"It's ok Mr. Ajay Kumar Ji (Ji is used in hindi in place of respected sir)." Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri Replied.

"By the way, Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri Ji (Ji is used in hindi in place of respected sir) what are your plans after going back to India?" Asked Mr. Ajay Kumar.

"I will go and meet my family." Answered Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri.

"What about you, Dr. Gyan Singh." Asked Mr. Ajay Kumar.

"I will go on a vacation and after I come back I will research more regarding the planet G S." I answered.

"What is G S?" Asked Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri.

"G S is a planet that was found by one of our satellites mistakenly. After some research my team found about G S. In an research, we came to know that water is also found on that planet. The research in currently just fifty three percent conplete. I want to complete the full research within two years." I replied.

"Nice, in how many years we can go to that planet?" Asked Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri.

"Maybe in 10 years." I answered.

"Ok, that's great." Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri replied.

"Yes, I would love to go to the planet G S before my death." Mr. Ajay Kumar spoke.

"Yes, me to." Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri replied.

Then we started looking the sea.

"Hey! Mr. Ajay Kumar Ji (Ji is used in hindi in place of respected sir) by the way, what are your plans after we reach back to India?" Asked Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri.

"Yes, you asked our plans but didn't told about your plans." I supported Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri.

"I currently have no big plans, but yes I don't want to face more dangers so I will quit my job and bu an E - Rickshaw." Mr. Ajay Kumar replied.

"And why would you buy an E - Rickshaw?" Asked Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri.

"I have to do something to earn and I know only two things." Mr. Ajay Kumar answered.

"And what are the two things?" Asked Mr. Lakshman Prasad Ganesh Prasad Hanumaan Chettri.

"Driving a boat and Driving an E - Rickshaw (An E - Rickshaw or an Electric rickshaw is a small 3 - wheeled vehicles powered by an electric motor ranging from 650 to 1400 Watts. They have become more popular in some cities since 2008 as an alternative to auto rickshaws and pulled rickshaws. Their popularity is due to their lower fuel cost and ease of use compared to human-pulled rickshaws. They are becoming widely accepted as an alternative to petrol/diesel/CNG auto rickshaws. They are mostly manufactured in India and China. If introduced in a systematic manner, battery-run rickshaws could be a low-emitter complementary transport for low-income people who suffer most from a lack of transport facility. Electronic rickshaws have now transitioned from being a market entrant in the automobile industry of India to a leading short-distance transport solution.

This segment gained popularity between 2015 and 2018. Although this segment is dominated by a host of unorganized players, established manufacturers have also identified its growth opportunities and are expected to foray into the segment.

Though e-rickshaws were introduced in India on the lines of China in the late 2010s, sales were very sporadic and not widespread. Due to the drive to have a greener transport industry (especially in tier-2 & tier-3 cities), the e-rickshaw market is vastly gaining base and is likely to gain a foothold in the coming years with the entry of established players in the segment as well.

These rickshaws have a mild steel tubular chassis, consisting of three wheels with a differential mechanism at the rear wheels. The motor is a brushless DC motor. The electrical system used in Indian versions is 48V and in Bangladesh is 60V. The body design from most popular Chinese version is of very thin iron or aluminum sheets. Bodies made of fiberglass are also popular because of their strength and durability, resulting in low maintenance. Body design is varied from load carriers, passenger vehicles with no roof, to full body with windshield for drivers comfort.

It consists of a controller unit. They are sold on the basis of voltage supplied and current output, also the number of mosfet (metal oxide field effect transistors) used. The vehicle's batteries are typically lead acid with a lifespan of 6–12 months. Deep cycle batteries designed for electric vehicles are rarely used. Weight of the electric car has also been a recurring design difficulty in them.

Electric rickshaws are most popular in Asia, especially in China, India, Bangladesh and Nepal. The low-cost Chinese models were the first electric rickshaws to become popular in those countries. China, Japan, India, and European countries (Switzerland, France, Germany) have researched and developed electric tricycles for commercial transport and are attempting to capture the growing market in Asia. Government has made efforts though to run them and made plans to issue licenses on a fee of 1.5tk but there has been no action on this matter to date.

Bangladesh imports electric rickshaws directly from China or via other countries. The well-established cities prefer them as cheaper and better means of transport. The government in an inter-ministerial meeting on 5 May 2011 banned the import and assembly of the vehicles and decided to send off-road those already plying, primarily on the ground that it consumes electricity mostly through illegal connections.

China is the largest manufacturer of electric rickshaws in the world, due to low labor cost, high production rates and encouraging government policies on foreign trade they import a large number on daily basis. There are hundreds of electric rickshaw manufacturers and thousands of parts producers. Their main market is within small towns or cities with insufficient public transport.

One of the first attempts to design electric rickshaws was done by Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute in late 1990s. In India, these e-rickshaws are widely spread all over the country, starting to gain popularity around 2011. The design is now much different from cycle rickshaws.

Today, e-rickshaws play a vital role in providing livelihood to people in India. Due to their low cost and high efficiency, they are accepted on the Indian streets, but government policies have been threatening the e-rickshaw and banned its use in the capital city Delhi, failed to put them off the streets. E-rickshaws are still rising in number and widely used in Delhi and other parts of India. In Delhi, as per government official's figures in April 2012, their number was over 100,000.

Initially e-rickshaws were unregulated by any central law in India. However, the Delhi High Court, banned running of e-rickshaws in Delhi on 31 July 2014 over safety concerns raised through a public interest litigation. In a rally held for regularization of e rickshaws in Delhi transport minister Nitin Gadkari said that "municipal corporations would regularize e-rickshaws by registering them for a fee of just ₹100. After registering the e-rickshaw, corporations will have to issue identity cards to drivers so they can earn their livelihood easily." the policy was in place, the corporation, along with traffic police, would have fix the amount of fine to be imposed for violation of the policy. However, the policy was never implemented. Certain states like Tripura had regularized the e-rickshaws through municipal bylaws or through state legislation. In March 2015, the Indian Parliament passed an amendment to the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015 legalizing e-rickshaws. By July 2015, battery rickshaws are available for travel in many cities, and are now certified to ply with Registration No. plate by R.T.O. with insurance.)"

We were discussing about different topics. In a few minutes we reached, to Captain Kharatos Krypton. We were afraind of him but the Sea Bishop with us told us not to be afraid. Then he took out a paper and went to The Sea Tornado (Captain Kharatos Krypton's Ship). He came back after 12 minutes. "Let's go captain, he has checked the permit." The Sea Bishop spoke to the Vodyanoy.

TO BE CONTINUED