Delhi HC asks police to take necessary action against 'jugaad' vehicles

The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the police to take necessary action against hybrid rickshaws, also known as 'jugaads', which are cobbled together from parts of various vehicles.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued the direction to Delhi Police Commissioner on a PIL alleging that such hybrid vehicles were plying without registration or insurance and were mostly driven by people without any driving licence.

With the direction the court disposed of the plea by Delhi resident Shiv Kumar, represented by advocate Rajdipa Behura, who has claimed that though 'jugaads' have been brought under the ambit of Motor Vehicles Act, there were no guidelines in place to regulate them.

Behura told the bench that either the 'jugaads' be banned or guidelines be put in place to regulate them as was done in the case of e-rickshaws.

Central government standing counsel Ravi Prakash and advocate Farman Ali Magray, appearing for the Transport Ministry, told the court that it was complying with the Supreme Court's May 2013 direction to ensure 'jugaads' are not permitted to ply without adhering to the requirements of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Prakash and Magray told the bench that the ministry has already issued a circular to all the state governments to take action against 'jugaads' in accordance with the Motor Vehicles Act.

Kumar, in his plea, had said that he filed the instant petition after witnessing such "makeshift vehicles made from tyres of a motorbike, the handle and engine of a Bajaj scooter fitted to a body of a cycle cart/ rickshaw" carrying goods in the heavy traffic near Kotla Mubarakpur here.