New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to lift its ban on the plying of e-rickshaws in the national capital and said that it is the responsibility of the Centre and Parliament to frame necessary guidelines in this regard.
“What is prohibited under law, cannot be permitted,” the High Court said in its ruling.
“It is the responsibility of Parliament and the Centre to frame rules for regulating plying of e-rickshaws in the national capital,” the high court further said.
The court stressed that the law needed to be amended to bring the e-rickshaws under the ambit of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 for regulating them on the roads.
The order was passed by the division bench of the High Court after conclusion of arguments on a writ petition seeking its regulation.
The High Court had on July 31 imposed \restrictions on the plying of e-rickshaws in the national capital, over safety issues.
The Centre then moved the court asking to review its order of banning e-rickshaws as thousands of people and their livelihood were being affected by the ban.
The court has time and again asked the Centre as to how it could allow e-rickshaws to ply illegally. The Centre has argued that it came up with draft rules on plying of these battery-operated vehicles and these have been submitted to the Law Ministry.
Advocate Sugriv Dubey, appearing for social activist Shahnawaz who filed the petition to ban e-rickshaws, however, told the bench that due to the e-rickshaws, two major accidents have taken place and two people have died.
He said 137 cases have been registered against rash driving by e-rickshaw drivers.
