The Delhi High Court has recently sought a response from the Delhi Government, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and the Joint Traffic Police Commissioner on a plea seeking regulation of the movement of e-rickshaws in the capital.
Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri issued notice in the plea highlighting the menace created by e-rickshaws with expired registration and fitness certificates plying illegally on roads and are thereby a hazard to road safety.
The matter is slated for hearing on October 16, 2023.
The instant petition has been filed by LawPretation Legal through Advocates Manan Aggarwal and Ananya Kumar on behalf of one Aniket Sachdeva, who is a practising lawyer. The petitioner approached the court after having met with an accident in December last year while travelling to court on his scooty when an e-rickshaw took a sharp turn in the middle of the road on account of which the petitioner fell of his vehicle.
The plea pointed out that a December 2014 notification issued by the Delhi Government prohibited the plying and idle parking of e-rickshaws on certain roads in the city in the interest of public safety and convenience of the general public. “They (e-rickshaw drivers) are still plying and parking on the said roads on daily basis thus choking the road and creating traffic congestion and whenever the petitioner goes to the various Courts for his work he always get stuck in the said congestion created by E-Rickshaws and gets late for his Court hearing,” the petition alleged.
In lieu thereof, the petition sought complete prohibition and impounding of e-rickshaws plying on Delhi roads with either expired registration and fitness certificates or without valid number plates, in addition to regulation of the movement of the e-rickshaws.
“The right to practice any profession, or to carry on any occupation trade or business without any interference in a clean and healthy environment is a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution of India and due to the non implementation of the Notification dated 11.12.2014 issued by the respondent no. 3 whenever the petitioner goes to the various Courts for his work he always get stuck in the congestion created by E Rickshaws and gets late for his Court hearing,” states the plea.
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