Last April, the Supreme Court scrapped Delhi Municipal Corporation order on a petition filed by Manushi, an NGO, which put a ceiling limit on rickshaws. MCD informed the court that there were 89,000 licensed rickshaws in the city, while there are more than 6 lakh (possibly up to 8 lakh) rickshaws (covering both passenger rickshaw and reri rickshaw) in the city. This gave rise to a large scale harassment and corruption to the MCD & police officials. The MCD order authorised its officials not only to levy fines on unlicensed rickshaw owners, but also allowed them to destroy the rickshaws. SC scrapped the order stating that it was unconstitutional as it put limit on numbers of rickshaw to be plied in Delhi, and restricted rickshaw pullers and owners right of earning a livelihood.
The Court also appointed a Task Force to develop a policy for non-motorised vehicles. It also appointed a Senior Enquiry Officer ( a retired Additional District Judge) to look into the complaints of rickshaw owners and pullers. Manushi which is coordinating the entire effort has found that somehow till date both the efforts are not resulting either in a policy on regularization of non-motorised vehicles or decrease in harassment to rickshaw pullers/owners. (see the detailed accounts on http://www.manushi.in/articleList.php?catId=118&ptype=campaigns
This despite a study undertaken by a Joint venture of Delhi Govt. and IDFC Ltd, Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) Limited coming out with an important conclusion that Delhi Cycle Rickshaws are a solution and not a problem to solve the Delhi’s congested roads & streets (see link http://www.dimts.in/download/Concept_Paper-Green_CAB.pdf ).
Hope our administrators see, how the selfish attitude of petty MCD & Police officials towards Rickshaw pullers & owners is destroying a promising and innovative solution to Delhi’s already congested roads.
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Socio Research & Reform Foundation
(A Non Government Organisation)
512 A, Deepshikha, 8 Rajendra Place,
New Delhi – 110008
I am so happy that somebody rose up to take care of them…the un reached, the unrepresented, powerless, voiceless but yet they are the hardworking, toiling always seen as accused, threatened…GOD BLESS YOU all…What a great job done. MY FULL SUPPORT FOR YOU !