A new category of motorised four-wheelers, quadricycle, is set to hit the roads in the Capital and other cities from October 1 with the Delhi High Court on Friday refusing to stay the Union Government’s notification allowing their operations. With the ban on e-rickshaws still in force in Delhi, the new vehicles may be pressed into service for public transport on a massive scale.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw said it was not inclined to give any interim relief to the petitioners who had stated that since quadricycles did not have proper safety standards required for the Indian roads, they should not be used as public service vehicles.
However, the Court issued notice to the Centre on the public interest writ petition and asked it to file its reply by December 2, when the case will come up for further hearing. Two Supreme Court lawyers, Kirti Mishra and Arvind Sharma, have moved the petition in the High Court.
The Union Government’s standing counsel informed the Court that the apex court had already appointed a committee to look into the safety aspect of quadricycles. The notification allowing quadricycles on roads has been challenged before the committee and an auto rickshaw operators’ body has also made a representation to it. The panel is likely to submit its report to the Supreme Court next month.
The petitioners said the use of quadricyles as public transport vehicles would be unsafe in the country and they are only used for personal transport abroad.
The Centre should have considered and implemented safety measures for them before issuing the notification on February 9 this year, said the petition.
