Delhi govt to move SC to get cap on autos removed

With the queue of people seeking permits to drive auto-rickshaws in the Capital only getting longer, the transport department has decided to move the Supreme Court to remove the cap on the number of auto-rickshaws in Delhi.

With the queue of people seeking permits to drive auto-rickshaws in the Capital only getting longer, the transport department has decided to move the Supreme Court to remove the cap on the number of auto-rickshaws in Delhi.

HT Image

Relaxing the restriction on the number of auto-rickshaws, the Supreme Court, in November 2011, had allowed transport department to give out 45,000 new permits, taking the number of autos to one lakh.

Though the transport department has managed to give out only 18,586 permits so far, it has already exhausted the quota of 17,675 permits fixed for general category candidates. However, under the SC, ST and OBC category only 911 of 17,325 permits have been given.

"We will soon request the SC to further relax the restriction. To ensure more people under the reserved categories take auto-rickshaw permits to earn a decent livelihood we will try and make the scheme more popular," a senior transport department official said.

The department has reserved 1,000 permits for women drivers. Another 6,000 permits have been kept for private companies. Five hundred each of these permits will be for running 'auto-on-call' service in different parts of the Capital. The department has received applications from 35 companies and officials said they are now scrutinising the applications.

"We will also bring different kind of auto-rickshaws, which will be safer and reliable and will have more space for passengers and luggage under this scheme," an official said.