Centre’s u-turn on e-rickshaws is a betrayal with poor people

9082014

From: Media Cell AAP  Fri, 8 Aug ’14 8:18p

To: undisclosed-recipients:;

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The Central government’s stand before the Delhi High Court on the issue of regularisation and regulation of e-rickshaws in Delhi is a complete u-turn from what it had been publicly stating so far and it has now betrayed the poor people.

It is shocking that the Centre is adopting a casual attitude on a serious issue which affects the livelihood of nearly two lakh poor families in the national capital.

It is beyond any reasonable understanding that when the Parliament session is currently going on and the government still has four complete working days before the session is scheduled to end, why is it not making efforts to get the Motor Vehicles Act amended ?

The government’s law officers told the High Court on Friday that it will take two months to frame guidelines for regulating e-rickshaws in the national capital. This is completely opposite to what the union transport minister Mr Nitin Gadkari had stated at a rally at Ramlila Maidan on June 16.

Mr Gadkari had promised that e-rickshaws below 650 Watt motors will not be treated as motorized vehicles and can ply freely – this was a false promise for which he should apologise to the e-rickshaw drivers for having fooled them.

Mr Gadkari had promised that if the need arose the Centre would even promulgate an ordinance for the regularization of e-rickshaws, but the real situation is that his government is even unable to move an amendment in Parliament.

The Aam Aadmi Party is of the clear view that e-rickshaws must be allowed to ply on Delhi roads with proper regulation and agrees with the High Court that these must have registration numbers and driving licences.

However, the worrying situation is that the incompetence and insensitivity of the central government and Delhi administration should not be used as a tool for snatching the livelihood of poor people for no fault of theirs.

The AAP demands that emergency steps be taken to comply with court orders so that e-rickshaws can be regularized for plying on roads at the earliest.  (ENDS)