E-rickshaws had gone off road after the Delhi High Court imposed a ban on them on safety concerns
Paving the way for return of e-rickshaws on the roads of Delhi, the Cabinet today approved amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act that will ease the norms for obtaining a licence to drive the battery operated vehicles.
These rickshaws had gone off road after the Delhi High Court imposed a ban on them on safety concerns. The approved changes, which also include adding definition of e-rickshaws and e-carts to the Act, will help these vehicles get a legal status.
It will also help drivers of these vehicles get a licence without mandatory one-year period of holding a licence to drive light motor vehicles.
"The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today gave its approval for a proposal to remove difficulties in granting licence to the drivers of the e-rickshaws and e-carts by amending the Section 7 (1) of Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, and adding the definition of e-rickshaw and e-cart under the Act," an official statement said.
A week ago, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had announced that a bill to solve issues like commercial licences for e-rickshaw drivers would be introduced in the current session of Parliament.
Under the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, no person can be granted a learner's license to drive a transport vehicle, unless he has held a driving license for a period of at least one year to drive a light motor vehicle.
The statement said the present approval was given to remove the clause as most of the e-rickshaws and e-carts drivers do not have any licence and the existing provision will debar them from operating e-rickshaw/e-cart for the next one year.
"In order to remove this difficulty, and facilitate plying of e-rickshaw and e-carts, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed to amend Section 7(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which will give relaxation to e-rickshaw and e-cart drivers only," the statement said.