E-rickshaws: HC issues show cause notice to Traffic Police, Delhi govt

New Delhi, Oct 28: The Delhi High Court today issued show cause notices to the Traffic Police and the Transport Department as to why contempt proceedings not be initiated against them for not taking action against erickshaws which are lying despite a ban on them.

The court expressed surprise that erickshaws are still running "with impunity" in the national capital despite the September 9, 2014 order restraining them from plying and suggested that the vehicles be seized and their tyres deflated.

"Issue show cause notice to Respondent 2 (Anil Shukla, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic)) and 3 (Satish Mathur, Transport Commissioner, Government of Delhi) on why contempt action be not initiated against them. Response be filed in four weeks. List on December 18," Justice V K Shali said.

The judge said that as per pictures submitted by petitioner Shahnawaz Khan, erickshaws were plying on different dates earlier and even now and the police are not taking any action against them. The court also observed that most of the erickshaws are plying in Chandni Chowk area.

Advocate Zubeda Begum, appearing for the respondents which also included Police Commissioner Bhimsen Bassi, said that a draft notification on permitting plying of erickshaws has been issued on October 8 by the Transport Ministry and objections against the same have been invited.

The final notification will be issued soon, she told the court. The order came on Shahnawaz's contempt plea, filed through advocate Sugrive Dubey, alleging that ercikshaws are continuing to operate in violation of the court's September 9 direction. The high court had on September 9 held that its ban on plying of erickshaws in the national capital will continue as they are illegal as per existing laws.

PTI