Erickshaws: Centre to submit proposal of directions sought

The Delhi High Court today asked the Centre to submit tomorrow its proposal of the directions it is seeking from the court for permitting plying of erickshaws which were banned in the national capital.
The court asked the Transport Ministry to submit the proposal after observing that as per the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, the hands of the court are tied in respect of allowing erickshaws to ply.
"Provisions of Motor Vehicles Act are completely tying our hands. How can we say do not follow the law? That is the difficulty we are facing. Give us the proposal of directions you want us to pass," a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul said.

The proposal, to be filed by the ministry, will contain measures for regulating plying of erickshaws during the interregnum between now and when the rules will be framed under the Act.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand and advocate Balendu Shekhar informed the court that the draft rules will be placed soon before the Law Ministry.
The ASG also said that erickshaw operators live on the basis of their earnings and the government is seeking exemption or interim directions for just 4 weeks.

The bench will continue to hear the matter tomorrow.
The court had on August 21 refused to pass any interim order to permit their operation saying "we have to be clear about what we are doing, can't do it just like that".

The court had on July 31 banned plying of erickshaws on city roads on the plea of social activist Shanawaz Khan who has alleged that these vehicles which are designed to ferry only four people including the driver, carry more than eight people at a time, endangering their lives.
While banning them, the court had observed that erickshaws are illegally running on Delhi roads and "prima facie a hazard to other traffic as well citizens".