The NDA government had introduced the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to regularize e-rickshaws, in the Lok Sabha. The battery-operated vehicles were banned in the capital by the Delhi High Court citing safety concerns.
The bill has provisions that enable the state government to register e-rickshaws as per the amended rules. Addressing safety issues, Nitin Gadkari, the Transport Minister said the rules would allow an e-rickshaw to ferry only four passengers, excluding the driver, and luggage not more than 40 kg.
The bill states that the motor that powers the e-rickshaw will not be more than 2,000 watts and the vehicle shall not exceed a speed of 25 km per hour. The bill also seeks to remove difficulties in granting licence to drivers of e-rickshaws and e-carts by amending Section 7(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, and adding the definition of e-rickshaw and e-cart in the Act.
