AAP takes up e-rickshaw illegality issue

New Delhi: Three AAP MLAs, along with hundreds of drivers and owners of e-rickshaws, staged a protest outside the L-G secretariat here today, demanding that the government order rendering the rickshaws illegal be revoked.

Hundreds of e-rickshaws` drivers gathered outside L-G secretariat and raised slogans against the transport department while demanding relief after the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) rendered them illegal via a notification issued on April 24. The Transport Department had launched a crackdown few days back on e-rickshaws plying in the national capital following the order. AAP MLAs - Rajesh Garg from Rohini, Akhilesh Tripathi from Model Town and Bandana Kumari from Shalimar Bagh - took part in the protest and demanded relief for drivers of e-rickshaws. "Transport Department is snatching livelihood of drivers of e-rickshaws by impouding their vehicles which is unjustified. LG should come forward to save their livelihood and ask tranposrt officials not to impound these battery-operated rickshaws," Rajesh Garg said. He also said that `Delh e-rickshaw Chalak Sangh` has been formed to look into the issue and will put forth their demand before the LG and the Transport Department. "Scores of e-rickshaws` drivers will also protest outside LG secretariat at 10 am tomorrow and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal will lead the protest. Later, a delegation of Delhi e-rickshaw Chalak Sangh will meet the LG over the issue and take up the matter in the meeting," Garg added. Police tried to pacify the protesting drivers but they refused to budge until senior police officials intervened in the matter.