Crackdown continues, drivers want quick solution

August 5, 2014

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Hindustan Times (Delhi)

HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Traffic Police continued its crackdown of e-rickshaws on Monday. The Delhi High Court has on Thursday ordered the Delhi government to temporarily take the vehicles off the roads.

The daily number of vehicles seized went down considerably as drivers are now scared and hesitant to take out their vehicles, traffic officials said.

In the first two days after the high court ban, 302 vehicles were seized. The police said a consolidated figure would be released by the department in a few days.

“Many drivers are refraining from taking their vehicles out, which has made our work easier,” said a senior traffic official.

Though police have successfully implemented the ban, the drivers have been left with no source of income. “If the government does take a decision, lakhs of families will either die of starvation or will be forced to commit suicide,” said Mohammad Sohail, an e-rickshaw driver in Burari.

Thousands of rickshaw drivers had gathered at Jantar Mantar on Sunday to find a solution to their problem at the Aam Aadmi Party’s rally. “This is the problem of over three lakh drivers and their families and this will definitely be a decisive factor for the Delhi elections,” claimed Divakar Kumar another rickshaw driver.

According to an estimate, more than two lakh e-rickshaws ply in the city. These rickshaws can at best ferry four passengers and an additional weight of 25-50 kg luggage. They were supposed to be re gistered with the municipal corporations, which were scheduled to issue identity cards to the drivers.

In the last week of June, the three municipal corporations took up the task of preparing policies for e-rickshaws after Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari announced the regularisation of these vehicles.

Source-http://paper.hindustantimes.com/