Municipal corporations to frame policy on e-rickshaws in a month's time

NEW DELHI: Municipal corporations have been given a month's time to frame an 'easy' policy for the registration of e-rickshaws in the city. The policy must focus on passenger safety and e-rickshaw owners will have to get a number-plate.

Nitin Gadkari said at a rally on Tuesday that municipal corporations would regularize e-rickshaws by registering them for a fee of just Rs 100.

However, the corporations had been pondering over a policy for e-rickshaws since 2010-11 and they had then inaugurated the scheme. "Owners of e-rickshaws will have to get their vehicles registered with corporations at a fee of just Rs 100. After registering the e-rickshaw, corporations will have to issue identity cards to drivers so they can earn their livelihood easily," said Subhash Arya, leader of the House, South Corporation.

The corporations have proposed zone-wise colour and number coding. "There are 12 zones and vehicles in every zone will have either a different colour or number combination assigned to them. Apart from registration, corporations will also have to do a census," said Satish Upadhyay, chairman, standing committee, South Corporation.

"Zonal deputy commissioners have been given the task to identify parking and halting sites for rickshaws in each zone along with appropriate signage depending on availability of space," Mohan Bhardwaj, standing committee chairman, North Corporation, said. To keep a tab on the progress of the scheme, action-taken reports will have to be submitted by the deputy commissioners at the headquarters.

Once the policy is in place, the corporation, along with traffic police, will work out challan rates. But the corporations are facing a problem with identification of parking and halting sites. Already, roads are unable to bear the traffic load and marking space for the e-rickshaws will prove a challenge.