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LMC drafts by-laws for tempos, e-rickshaws in Lucknow
Lucknow Municipal Corporation plans new by-laws for e-rickshaws to regulate operations, enforce licensing, and ensure safety, effective October 22.
The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has come up with a set of laws to govern the operation and movement of e-rickshaws in the state capital.
These by-laws are set to be tabled before the LMC executive meeting on October 22.
The set of laws hope to tackle the traffic chaos caused by the omnipresent e-rickshaws, the rashly driven tempos and others in the city.
The ‘Tempo, Taxi, E-Rickshaw, E-Carts, E-Load Vehicle Regulation and Control By-laws 2024,’ foremost mandates that all tempos, taxis, e-rickshaws, e-carts, and e-load vehicles must obtain a valid license from the licensing officer to operate within municipal limits, read an official letter of LMC related to the by-laws, which Hindustan Times is in possession of.
The by-laws state that the licenses will remain valid for the financial year, from April 1 to March 31. To encourage timely applications, the LMC offers a 10% discount on fees for those applying before May 31. After this date, a 20% surcharge will be added to both new licenses and renewals. First-time applicants can benefit from the same 10% discount within two months of the by-laws’ enactment.
The by-laws require that all vehicles are maintained in good working condition to ensure passenger safety and reliability. Additionally, drivers must submit a driving certificate issued by the divisional transport department, verifying their qualifications. Drivers should also be between the ages of 18 and 60 and must provide a health certificate from a doctor, confirming their fitness and lack of any infectious diseases.
The LMC will impose a daily penalty of ₹20 for any unauthorised vehicle operation. If the unauthorised operation persists for 15 days, the municipal commissioner or licensing officer may auction the vehicle, notifying the owner and publishing the auction details in daily newspapers.
The by-laws also strictly prohibit the use of any prohibited substances by both licensees and passengers in e-rickshaws, promoting a safe environment. Licenses will be suspended or cancelled by the licensing officer for violations of these regulations.
Individuals affected by such decisions can appeal to the municipal commissioner within 15 days, and the commissioner’s ruling will be final. Should the need arise, the matter may be escalated to the executive/house for a binding resolution, the LMC letter reads.
The by-laws establish specific annual fees for acquiring a licence: ₹800 for a private e-rickshaw (5-seater), ₹200 for a private e-rickshaw load vehicle, ₹1000 for an e-rickshaw for commercial vehicles, and ₹800 for both private tempo rides (7-seater) and the corresponding driver license.
Violations of the by-laws may incur a fine of ₹500, with an additional ₹50 per day for ongoing violations.
