The unprecedented growth in the number of e-rickshaws has not only disrupted traffic flow in the Capital, but also worried the authorities. Clamouring to find solutions to the growing safety risk caused by them to other commuters, the Delhi Traffic Police (DTP) has advocated an urgent need to bring battery-operated rickshaws under a regulatory framework.
The e-rickshaws are run by private operators in the city with no records available with the Government. According to Traffic Police, e-rickshaws pose a major safety hazard to other commuters due to lack of enforcement since they do not come under the ambit of the Motor Vehicles Act.
“We have requested the Transport Department to frame a mechanism for the regulation of the battery-operated rickshaws in Delhi. The vehicles should be provided with a registration number and should be insured as well. The drivers of such vehicles should possess a licence and a permit since they ferry passengers,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Shukla.
He added that in order to minimise the risk of accidents and test their durability, it should be mandatory for such vehicles to undergo a crash-and-brake test. At present, no zones have been earmarked for the rickshaws to ply on and so these vehicles are seen increasingly speeding down the main roads, including Connaught Place and ITO.
“This is an alarming trend and can lead to fatal crashes on roads. To avoid such a situation, proper zones will be defined for such vehicles, so that they do not enter main roads and other congested roads,” said ACP Shukla.