BJP seeks relaxation in draft rules for e-rickshaws’ return

The Delhi BJP also took the opportunity to claim credit for taking up the cause of e-rickshaw drivers. “Neither the Congress nor the AAP could resolve the issue. Oscar Fernandes refused to help them and the AAP government in Delhi did not take a single step to resolve the issue. Despite not being in power, it is the BJP in Delhi that pursued it with the Centre. BJP leaders sat with senior advocates, but the court wanted some conditions to be met and we have included those in the draft,” Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay said.

Upadhyay said the Transport ministry had advised the Lt-Governor to ensure that the departments concerned organise safety training and counselling sessions for e-rickshaw drivers.

According to Rajiv Babbar, the BJP leader who represented the e-rickshaw unions, they have demanded relaxation in three clauses, including removing the clause of mandatory commercial vehicle licence for e-rickshaws.

“It takes more than two years to get a commercial licence, plus it’s a cumbersome process. The second demand is related to traction test that is not required and the third is related to electro-magnetic test, which is not conducted in India. The minister has agreed to look into our demands,” Harish Khurana, media convenor, Delhi BJP, said.

The Delhi High Court had on September 9 said the ban on e-rickshaws in the capital would continue, terming the vehicles illegal under existing laws. It had also rejected the Centre’s plea to allow them to ply until rules are framed to regulate them.

AAP national convener Arvind Kjeriwal too met Gadkari on Tuesday and said so far, the BJP had displayed a “policy paralysis” on the issue similar to the UPA government preceding it. “It is saying things will be resolved in 10 days. We will have to wait and see, but this could have come earlier. The party made a range of promises in June, but it has to live up to them. It is strange that Gadkari said some of them couldn’t be implemented because his department told him they were not legal,” Kejriwal said.