Traffic police chief gets court notice for e-rickshaws on road

The court of Justice V K Shali issued orders to Shukla and Mathur to “show cause as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them” after noting that e-rickshaws continued to “ply with impunity” in the city.

The notices were issued on a plea filed by social worker Shanawaz Khan, who had filed a PIL seeking regulation on e-rickshaws, following which the High Court had banned the vehicles from plying without proper rules. Khan had also named Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi in his contempt plea, but the court has, for now, not issued any notice to the commissioner.

“Why are you allowing them to ply?” the court said.

During the brief hearing, Delhi government counsel Zubeda Begum also told the court that a draft notification on the rules to govern plying of e-rickshaws had been circulated by the Ministry of Road Transport, and would be finalised soon.

Khan, in his plea, has alleged that despite the July 31 ban on the vehicles, e-rickshaws were plying in Old Delhi, Delhi, trans-Yamuna area and Delhi University. The court also took note of pictures submitted by the petitioner showing e-rickshaws in the city.