New Safe E-Rickshaws Launched in Delhi

The government today launched the all new e-rickshaw which has been manufactured keeping in mind the safety of passengers. "This will put an end to the practice of human beings pulling human beings. Dalits, muslims and scheduled castes will be benefited by it the most as they are the ones who pull the manual rickshaws," the Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari told reporters here while unveiling the vehicle at his office complex.

The Ministry cleared plying of e-rickshaws on city roads through a notification last month. It notified the Central Motor Vehicles (Sixteenth Amendment) Rules, 2014, which paves the way for plying of 'special purpose battery operated vehicles'.

Gadkari said that the new and modified set of e-rickshaws have been manufactured keeping in mind the safety parameters. The new rules provide that e-rickshaw will be allowed to carry four passengers and 40 kg luggage while e-carts would transport goods up to 310 kg.

The Delhi High Court had on July 31 banned plying of e-rickshaws on the roads of the national capital citing safety concerns.

The rules define e-rickshaw as a special purpose battery operated vehicle 'having three wheels and intended to provide last mile connectivity for transport of passengers for hire or reward'. These vehicles are constructed or adapted to carry not more than four passengers, excluding the driver and the net power of its motor is not more than 2000 Watts and the maximum speed of the vehicle is not more than 25 kilometer per hour.

The Centre has also made driving licences mandatory for both the battery operated vehicles.