Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay on Wednesday welcomed the Gazette notification by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways aimed at restarting the operation of e-rickshaw. The Aam Aadmi Party too lauded the move but said it was ‘long overdue’ and that the Centre should have passed it months ago.
Upadhyay said that as a result of the efforts of Central Road Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari, the notification approved on Wednesday, will pave the way for legal and safe operation of e-reckshaw not only in Delhi but in entire India. Upadhyay also said that after the Gazette notification, it was the responsibility of all the State Governments including Delhi to start smooth operation of e-rickshaw overcoming all the legal hindrances.
“Now, the lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung, should apprise Delhi High Court about this notification and request to remove the ban on the operation of e-rickshaw so that the livelihood of thousands of families may be saved,” said Upadhyay.
The AAP welcomed the move but said, “The notification had to come much before. This was needed and the AAP has always been against the ban on e-rickshaw. But, it is just a notification; the High Court is free to scrutinise the issue further.”
Former Transport Minister Harun Yusuf welcomed the notification and said it should have come a bit earlier. He also cautioned that there must be some control and safety for the commuters. Traffic Police should ensure that there is no chaos on the road, he added.