The AAP Government on Monday told the Delhi High Court that around 1,100 e-rickshaws have been granted licence to operate in the national Capital and those not licensed were being impounded and the owners prosecuted.
The Delhi Government made the submission before Justice Manmohan during the hearing of a contempt plea alleging that most e-rickshaws in the city were operating in violation of law and rules and the authorities were not taking any action against such vehicles. The plea alleged that only 31 e-rickshaws have been granted licenses and all others are plying illegally.
The counsel for Delhi Government told the court that only those e-rickshaws complying with its guidelines were being registered. The Government added that those e-rickshaws that are not licensed are being impounded and their owners are being prosecuted.
He also said the transport department has impounded more than 15,000 e-rickshaws since January this year. Prosecution has been initiated against owners or operators of around 16,000 erickshaws which were found plying illegally.
Counsel for the petitioner Shahnawaz Khan told the court that e-rickshaws were plying in violation of rules and law, especially in trans-Yamuna area.
The court after hearing the arguments of both sides asked them to file their submissions by way of affidavits and listed the matter for hearing on February 15 next year. The Government had earlier told the court that as per its December 11, 2014 notification, e-rickshaws have been banned from plying or parking on 236 roads in the city. It had also told the court that it was running out of places to put the impounded e-rickshaws and using bus depots for the purpose.
Khan in his contempt plea has alleged that e-rickshaws are continuing to operate in the national Capital in violation of the court’s September 9, 2014 direction.
On September 9, 2014, the high court had held that plying of e-rickshaws in the national Capital was illegal as per then existing law and the ban on their operation would continue till the central government framed rules to regulate them.