
More than 1 lakh illegal e-rickshaws ply on Delhi’s roads
There are over 100,000 illegal e-rickshaws plying on the roads of the national capital and many of them are operating on 236 roads where movement of these vehicles has been prohibited, the Delhi high court was informed on Wednesday.
In a status report submitted before the court, the traffic department told the court that action has been taken against over 200,000 e-rickshaws, of which 7,543 e-rickshaws have been impounded. Besides, action has also been taken against over 90,000 gramin sewa vehicles, of which 2,305 have been impounded.
Some of roads where movement of such vehicles are prohibited include Raj Niwas Marg, Barakhambha Road, Sansad Marg to Outer Connaught Place, Minto Road, Ashoka Road, Africa Avenue, Outer Ring Road, and the Cantonment area.
The court was apprised of these facts during the hearing of a contempt petition filed by two gramin sewa vehicle owners against the commissioner of traffic Varsha Joshi and other authorities for not regularising and giving proper licences to e-rickshaws in the capital.
Appearing for the traffic department, standing counsel Prabhsahay Kaur informed the court that at present, there are over one lakh illegal e-rickshaws in the city. She said there are 236 roads where these e-rickshaws have been prohibited.
“In order to regulate the movement of e-rickshaws, the government of NCT of Delhi prohibited their movement and parking on 236 roads in December 2014 under Section 115 Motor Vehicles Act, 1988,” the status report said.
She also said efforts are being made by both the traffic department and the transport department of the Delhi government to regularise these e-rickshaws and cap their numbers to 50,000.
However, justice Siddharth Mridul asked the government counsel how a cap can be imposed when these vehicles are already plying on the streets.
“How can you introduce a cap when they are already plying on the roads? There are already a lakh running without licences,” the court said, seeking to know the number of licences issued to e-rickshaws.
It also sought to know about the steps taken by authorities in regulating the menace of illegal e-rickshaws that operate outside Metro station.
“What about the Mehrauli-Badarpur road, the roads that lead to Max hospital and Qutub Minar? The road is always blocked because of e-rickshaws parked outside the Saket Metro station. Outside every Metro station, there is jam because of e-rickshaws that are double- and triple-parked,” the court remarked.
It went to add that the efforts of the authorities are not showing any result. “Proof of the pudding lies in the eating. We want officers on the field and not in the court,” justice Mridul said while referring to joint commissioner of police, Traffic, Alok Kumar who was summoned to the court.
The court was informed that joint meetings have been conducted by the traffic department and the transport department and another one would be held soon to resolve the issue of illegal e-rickshaws.
Following this, the court asked them to file a joint status/action taken report, informing it about the steps taken.

Number of road accidents in Delhi dropped in 2020: Delhi Police

Entry, exit at several Delhi metro stations on green line shut

Delhi AQI in moderate category, no improvement likely till tomorrow

Batla House encounter: Delhi court to pronounce verdict on Ariz Khan’s role

With theme of 'patriotism', Delhi govt to table budget on Tuesday

Farmers’ protest: Key Delhi borders remain closed, traffic diverted

Delhi among top 3 states with most ‘contaminated sites’
- The CPCB report released on Sunday said that there are over 112 sites in India that are contaminated by toxic and hazardous substances.

Pandemic phase of Covid-19 is over: Jain
- An infection is said to be endemic in a population when it is constantly maintained at a baseline level in a geographic area.

AAP smells a scam in Rani Jhansi flyover delay; baseless, charge, says BJP
- The BJP dismissed the allegations as “baseless” and hit back, saying that the AAP should answer why the construction of the Signature bridge in north-east Delhi faced delays.

Shots will stay free at all Delhi govt hospitals
- Appropriate allocation of funds in this regard will be made in the upcoming Delhi budget that is likely to be presented this week, he added .

Indian water gun manufacturers giving China a run for its money
- In February that year, just before Holi, he went back to the Sadar Bazar trader with the water gun he had produced and also the Chinese one.

Animal-friendly Ridge with no barbed fences
- Experts said such initiatives will ensure that the only continuous green space in the national capital is preserved.

9 who delivered babies in PCR vans to attend Women’s Day at Delhi police HQ
- A host of functions to honour women have also been scheduled at different police stations and DCP offices.

BJP plans new campaign to take on AAP after bypoll loss
- Adesh Gupta has also started ‘mandal pravas’ (stay in each municipal wards) to connect with the party workers and supporters.

Stations on Metro’s Red line revamped
- As part of the revamp, new CCTV cameras, with better technology for improved clarity, additional escalators, bird spikes to prevent tripping of the overhead electrification (OHE) due to bird menace, were also installed.