Rickshaw Act being changed

Punjab government is likely to amend the rules pertaining to registration of rickshaws,relaxing age limit for rickshaw pullers and allowing rickshaws to be given on rent.

The upper age for grant of licence to rickshaw pullers,under an archaic law,is just 45 years. Such an impractical rule made the existence of many rickshaw operators illegal and led to harassment by Police and Municipal Authorities. Sources said the upper age limit in the Act shall be linked to the medical fitness of a driver.

An estimated three lakh rickshaws ply in Punjab but only less than one lakh are registered with the state government. The state government is also introducing light weight and eco-firendly rickshaws called Ecocabs in phases.

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The current rules do not provide any kind of flexibility for renting a rickshaw to anyone other than the owner.

The puller has to be the owner and he cannot possess more than one rickshaw.

Also,it has been proposed that instead of licensing,simple registration mechanism can be adopted,as in the case of motor vehicles.

Instead of calling them rickshaw pullers,the definition shall be amended to call them ecocab drivers. Sources said that the state tourism department has sent the file to the local bodies department putting these recommendations to amend the Punjab Rickshaws (Regulation of license) Act,1976 and other applicable Municipal Laws. The final notification will be issued by the local bodies department after approval.

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