Eco-rickshaws are plying on the city roads without any permission granted by the Transport Department or the Municipal Corporation. Eco-rickshaw (a battery-operated rickshaw) after getting tremendous response from public in Delhi and some parts of Punjab, has started plying in Jammu without getting permission from the government authority. Flyfot Industries, a newly registered company, bought 10 battery-operated Eco-rickshaws in January this year and applied to the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) for permission to ply them in Jammu as a public transport. But after getting negative response from the JMC, the company started plying it without permission. The company claims that these China-made Eco-rickshaws will make it easy to move in the narrow lanes due to its simple and efficient design. These no-sound rickshaws emit zero per cent pollution and are very economical to ply. As per the officials of the company, a ride in the rickshaw will cost between Rs 10 and Rs 40 depending upon the length of the route. Costing about Rs 1.25 lakh each, these six-seat colourful rickshaws draw power from four batteries. But the JMC has refused to give permission to the Flyfot Industries to ply Eco-rickshaws in the city and diverted the authority to the Transport Department. “We have not given permission to the company to ply Eco-rickshaws in the city and this matter pertains to the Transport Department,” said Kapil Sharma, Joint Commissioner JMC. Arvind Kotwal, Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Jammu, said, “The company had approached us, but we have not given the permission. We will check how they are plying in the city without registration.” These rickshaws may cut the cost of transportation, as compare to the auto- rickshaws, but it may not be effective in the old city, due to the hilly terrain. The company has started it in the plain areas of the city. The traffic police are confused about the permission to these rickshaws. Pawan Parihar, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Traffic, Jammu, said, “We have to check from the RTO, whether they are permitted to ply on the city roads or not.”