Delhi High Court asked to review its ban on e-rickshaws

A petition was filed Monday in the Delhi High Court seeking review of its order banning plying of e-rickshaws in the capital.

Appearing for Battery Rickshaw Welfare Association, advocate R.K. Kapoor mentioned the petition before a division bench of Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul and sought an urgent hearing.

The review petition said that there are around 70,000 battery-operated rickshaws plying on roads in the national capital while Kapoor noted that lakhs of families depend upon e-rickshaws for their livelihood and in the interest of justice, this court may review or modify its July 31 order.

The plea said that the ministry of road transport and highways has issued an advisory to the chief secretaries of all state governments and Union territories regarding regulation of electric motor propelled three-wheeled vehicles.

It added said that since the ministry proposes to amend the Motor Vehicles Act and the rules framed thereunder as well as issue an advisory for regulating such e-rickshaws, they may be permitted to operate in the meantime, subject to the compliance of any regulations which may be issued by the Delhi Traffic Police or local administration.

"Merely because the authorities have not been able to take strict action or frame guidelines, should not lead to the violation of the right to livelihood of the owners of the e-rickshaws," said the plea.

The court earlier banned e-rickshaws, saying their unregulated operation is "hazardous to other traffic on the road as well as to citizens".

The order came after hearing a public interest litigation seeking a ban on e-rickshaws, contending they have no registration numbers and the vehicles were putting passengers at risk since they cannot claim insurance in case of an accident.

The PIL said e-rickshaws operated with four batteries and were designed to ferry four people, including the driver. However, the drivers, at times, carried up to eight passengers, endangering their lives, it added.