Nitin Gadkari says E-rickshaws won’t be banned in Delhi, announces sops

NEW DELHI: The BJP-led NDA government on Tuesday sent overtures to e-rickshaw driver of the national capital who form a core vote-bank of the Aam Aadmi Party by announcing sops, including putting the batterypowered vehicles in non-motorised category and providing soft loans at 3% interest for buying the vehicle. At a rally organised at Ramlila grounds here, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari assured battery-operated e-rickshaw drivers that they would not be banned in Delhi. An order of the ministry on April 24 had made plying of e-rickshaws in the national capital illegal, leading to protests. Gadkari announced at the rally that e-rickshaws with motor power up to 650W would now be considered non-motorised vehicles.

“E-rickshaws having motor power up to 650W will now be regarded as non-motorised vehicles. Now, transport department and traffic police cannot challan them,” he said.

According to earlier rules, threewheeler vehicles with motor power less than 250W and speed less than 25 kmph were regarded as non-motorised vehicles, but the amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act through the April 24 notification had withdrawn this exemption. BJP is wooing this community which forms a core votebank of AAP.

Gadkari said MCD had to regularise e-rickshaws by registering them with a fee of just `100 and form a policy for their smooth operations. “Owners of e-rickshaws have to get their vehicles registered with MCD with a fee of just `100. After registering the e-rickshaws, MCD will have to give identity cards to drivers so that they can earn their livelihood without any hassles,” Gadkari said.

Auto Unions Feel Betrayed by Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: Autorickshaw unions feel betrayed by AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, after he extended his support to e-rickshaw operators. “During the elections, we supported him so much and now he has gone in favour of e-rickshaws, ignoring our cause,” said Rajendra Soni, general secretary, Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh, one of the autorickshaw unions in Delhi.