The unregulated operation of battery-operated e-rickshaws in the national Capital invited the ire of the Delhi High Court, which directed the Delhi Government on Thursday to stop them from plying on city roads with immediate effect.
While observing that “unregulated plying of vehicles on Delhi roads is prima facie a hazard to other traffic on roads as well as the citizens,” a division bench of Justices BD Ahmed and S Mridul said: “Stop it as of now. The Delhi Government says it is illegal. You (government) stop them in the meantime till a law is framed to regulate them.”
The court’s order came a day after a recklessly driven e-rickshaw hit a woman resulting in her three-year old child tossing off into a pot of boiling sugar syrup.
The court took note of news reports that a three-year-old boy died and his mother was injured in Trilokpuri area in East Delhi on Wednesday as a result of an accident involving an e-rickshaw. Irked by frequent violations by e-rickshaw drivers, the court said that “You can’t allow them to take law into their hands” in the absence of an appropriate policy.
The court directed, “Resp-ondents (Delhi Government and authorities) will forthwith take steps to prevent plying of e-rickshaws without fail.” During the brief proceedings, advocate Zubeda Begum, appearing for the City Government, submitted that as per a letter received from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Government is proposing to amend the Motor Vehicles Act to include the regulation of e-rickshaws. “local bodies will then frame rules to regulate e-rickshaws,” she said while referring to the letter.
The Bench, however, refused to comment on the Ministry’s proposed move, but observed that in the present situation “plying of e-rickshaws is illegal”. “There is no specific load or number of passengers that they are required to carry. They are not registered. They have no insurance,” the Bench observed. The court listed the matter for further hearing on August 14.
The high court’s directions came on a petition filed by social worker Shanawaz Khan.The high court had on July 23 given the Delhi Government a week’s time to come up with answers regarding the uncontrolled plying of e-rickshaws and what it intended to do about it.