High Court directs Transport Deptt. to frame policy on e-rickshaws

‘Make their registration mandatory, form concrete policy’

Pulling up the Transport Department of the Delhi Government and the three civic bodies for permitting battery-operated e-rickshaws to ply on the city roads without registration and number plates, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Department to make their registration mandatory and come up with a concrete policy on their operation.

A Division Bench of Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Jayant Nath directed the Transport Department to fix the number of passengers and the weight the pollution-free vehicles could carry.

Stating that these vehicles could not be allowed to operate as a commercial vehicle, the Bench also directed the Department to fix its make and the shape of its chassis.

The Court passed these directions on a petition seeking a complete ban on plying of these vehicles without registration and number plates.

The Bench observed that these vehicles not only created problems for the city’s traffic but they have even been found carrying eight to 10 passengers. “How can it carry this many passengers when it has the space to accommodate only four?” the Bench asked.

Not only that, these vehicles were also being used for carrying goods, the Bench observed, directing the Transport Department to frame the policy and submit it to the Court.

The Court also allowed a plea by an association of e-rickshaw operators to implead them as a party in the petition.