After backlash, Ghaziabad police defers e-rickshaw ban on Ambedkar Road

The Ghaziabad traffic police has already restricted e-rickshaw on Hapur Road between 7am and 10pm since September 2 and these curbs will continue

Facing criticism from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and also from e-rickshaw drivers, the Ghaziabad police on Wednesday said the proposed ban of e-rickshaws on Ambedkar Road, which was to come into effect from September 12, has been postponed. Police said e-rickshaws will continue to ply on Ambedkar Road until further notice.

E-Rickshaw drivers protest at Navyug Market on Wednesday against the proposed ban on e-rickshaws on Ambedkar Road from September 12. (Sakib ali/HT Photo)

The Ghaziabad traffic police has already restricted e-rickshaw on Hapur Road between 7am and 10pm since September 2.

On Tuesday, many e-rickshaw drivers had blocked traffic on Ambedkar Road and Old Bus Stand area in protest against the proposed ban, troubling commuters for a long time.

Ambedkar Road connects Old Bus Stand area to Chaudhary Morh near Ghaziabad railway station besides major city markets, business establishments and residential areas.

BJP MLA Nandkishor Gurjar also publicly opposed the ban on e-rickshaws and said the move will severely hit the livelihood of economically weak drivers and also significantly impact the party’s prospects in the upcoming assembly bypolls.

“The ban is unjustified as it will badly hit e-rickshaw drivers. The party has already suffered during the recent Lok Sabha election. The ban will also snowball into a major controversy and will impact party’s prospects in the upcoming bypolls. If need be, I will myself drive an e-rickshaw on the restricted roads and will even put a lock on the police office. The police will have to roll back this decision,” Gurjar said.

The MLA also released a video to this effect on Wednesday morning and said it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who helped poor drivers get e-rickshaws.

In April 2016, Modi had distributed 5,100 e-rickshaws to poor drivers in Noida’s Sector 62, and 151 of the recipients were women.

“There was a proposal to ban e-rickshaws on Ambedkar Road from September 12. A delegation of BJP leaders, traders and e-rickshaw drivers met us and shared their views through a memorandum that commuters will face problems and businesses will also be hit. So, in public interest, we have decided to postpone the ban on Ambedkar Road. The restrictions are in place on Hapur Road and these will continue,” Rajesh Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (city), said.

After the driver’s protest on Tuesday, the police registered a suo motu FIR against seven named persons and 15-20 other unidentified persons at Kotwali police station.

The FIR was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 191(2) (rioting) and 223 (disobedience to orders promulgated by public servants). Seven persons were arrested in this connection, officials said.