This Article is From Jul 31, 2014

E-Rickshaws 'Grounded' As Child Dies After Being Pushed Into Boiling Syrup

E-Rickshaws 'Grounded' As Child Dies After Being Pushed Into Boiling Syrup

A three-year-old boy died after being hit by a speeding e-rickshaw and falling into boiling syrup

New Delhi: A day after a three-year-old boy fell into boiling sugar syrup and died after being hit by a speeding e-rickshaw, the Delhi High Court has ordered the vehicles off the road, "as off now".

The court today took note of a child's death in a horrific accident after being hit by an e-rickshaw at Trilokpuri in east Delhi.

Dev, who was in his mother's arms, slipped and fell into sugar syrup being prepared for Jalebis just outside a sweet shop.

The mother, Pinky, shouted for help and burnt herself trying to pull him out. They were both taken to hospital where the child died after two hours of treatment.

The boy's family protested outside a police station and demanded the arrest of the e-rickshaw driver, who ran away.

The court today told the Delhi government, "You say it is illegal. You stop them in the meantime, till a law is framed to regulate them. You can't allow them to take law into their hands."

On Wednesday, the traffic police had told the court that unruly e-rickshaws had led to more than 29 accidents in which two people had been killed.

The traffic police had listed a litany of other traffic problems due to these battery-operated vehicles running unregulated on Delhi's roads. Till June, 137 cases have been filed against e-rickshaws for rash driving, and two people have died.

The court's directive comes on a petition seeking a ban on e-rickshaws on grounds that they have no registration numbers and passengers can't claim insurance in case of an accident. The petition also says the vehicles are designed for four passengers but end up carrying double the number.

The court asked for new rules for e-rickshaws and said it would take up the case again on August 14.
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