HC notice to city govt on transport policy of GraminSewa autos

The Delhi High Court today sought a response from the city government on a plea challenging its decision to bar 'Gramin Sewa' auto rickshaws from plying inside city areas.
Justice Manmohan also issued a notice to State Transport Authority and asked it to file its reply within four weeks to the petition of GraminSewa Vehicle Owner Welfare Association.
The Route Rationalisation Committee of STA, on August 12, last year, had taken a decision on the routes of GraminSewa auto rickshaws and decided that they will be allowed to operate only in those areas which fall outside the Outer Ring Road in the national capital.

The association, in its plea, said, "Issue a writ of certiorari seeking quashing of impugned public notification by respondents terminating the GraminSewa routs...".
It said the decision to allow the autos to ply only outside the Outer Ring Road will deny them the right to earn the livelihood and hence, be quashed.
The Delhi government, on June 17, 2010, had allowed such autos to ply for five years on various routes, especially in rural areas, where there is either poor or no service offered by the Delhi Transport Corporation.

Later, the panel of STA took note of the objections of various transporters, including DTC, that such autos were plying "dangerously" on routes that are even outside the sanctioned areas.

"The Board decided the routes of GraminSewa vehicles should be kept beyond outer ring road. The routes of mini buses should be kept beyond inner ring road. All the routes should be re-designed with proper allocation of number of vehicles on each route. The routes will be put up for open advertisement to give equal opportunity to all the interested operators," the STA had said.
The transport department had also said a study may be commissioned to a professional agency for giving a five year plan of operation of multiple modes of transport.