Bill for plying of e-rickshaws in Delhi gets government nod

New Delhi: Parliament on Monday gave nod to a Bill seeking to pave the way for plying of e-rickshaws on the roads of the national capital region, with the government considering a proposal to provide credit to buy these battery-operated vehicles. The Rajya Sabha passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015 to amend the 1988 Act by a voice vote. The measure was adopted by the Lok Sabha on 3 March. [caption id=“attachment_2148225” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Ibnlive[/caption] Replying to the debate on the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said not only would the poor benefit from it but it would give a boost to ‘Make in India’ initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the battery-operated vehicle was now being manufactured indigenously. The vehicle, which was at one point being shipped in from China, would not be imported any longer as a “Pune-based company is now manufacturing the vehicles. It will be made in India as part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative.” On the issue of providing credit to buy e-rickshaws, Gadkari said he had approached the Finance Minister and Prime Minister and “I hope they will consider this issue.” “It is a fact that man pulling man is inhuman. Nearly one crore people are doing this. This should come to a stop,” he said, adding that one crore poor people would be benefitted by the move. Maintaining that the government wanted e-rickshaws to be owned by drivers, he said “women and physically challenged people will also be given license. … Driving licence has been made a compulsory requirement. A permanent license would be given after a year of learning.” The Minister said it was being debated that whether a 8th standard passed person would be eligible for a license. “If not, what happens? This condition has to be thought about on a sympathetic ground,” he said. E-rickshaws or battery-operated three-wheeler vehicles had gone off roads after Delhi high court had banned their plying in July last year on safety concerns. On 7 January, President Pranab Mukherjee had promulgated an Ordinance as the bill to regularise e-rickshaws, passed by the Lok Sabha on December 18, had got stuck in Rajya Sabha. The government in October last had notified the rules for plying of e-rickshaws, making driver’s licence mandatory for operating them and limiting their maximum speed to 25 kmph. PTI