Delhi HC slams government, police for not regularizing jam-causing e-rickshaws
The Delhi HC slammed the state police and government yesterday, asking them why e-rickshaws are still plying on roads they have been prohibited from. As per Motor Vehicles Act 1988, there are 236 roads in Delhi where e-rickshaws aren't allowed to run, but they still ply. To curb that, the bench has asked traffic police and the transport department to draw up a mechanism.
Former L-G Najeeb Jung had notified prohibition orders in 2014
The roads where e-rickshaws are prohibited to run include Raj Niwas Marg, Barakhambha Road, Sansad Marg to Outer Connaught Place, Minto Road, Ashoka Road, Africa Avenue, Outer Ring Road, and the Cantonment area. This was to come into effect from 2014, according to then L-G Najeeb Jung's notification. But it has clearly not, said two gramin sewa vehicle owners in their contempt plea.
Traffic department said it's acted against 90,000 gramin sewa vehicles
When asked about the action they have taken, the counsel for the traffic department told the court that it has issued more than 2,00,000 challans, and impounded 7,543 e-rickshaws. They have also taken action against 90,000 gramin sewa vehicles, of which 2,305 have been impounded. Further, both the departments are working to cap the e-rickshaw numbers to 50,000 and regularizing them.
'How can you cap e-rickshaws when 1L already plying?'
Justice Siddharth Mridul-led bench expressed surprise as to how capping can be done when there are "already 1L e-rickshaws running without licenses," adding the exact number of licenses issued should be submitted in the next hearing. It also asked for steps the department is planning to take to curb the e-rickshaw menace outside metro stations that "are double- and triple-parked", causing jams.
Delhi Government issues licenses, we only implement rules: Traffic department
"What about the Mehrauli-Badarpur road, the roads that lead to Max hospital and Qutub Minar? The road is always blocked because of e-rickshaws parked outside the Saket Metro station. Outside every metro station, there is jam," the court remarked, questioning the efficiency of the traffic department. The department, in turn, blamed the Delhi Government for issuing licenses without ensuring adequate infrastructure, like e-rickshaw stops.
