Meanwhile, as the poll campaign heats up in the national Capital, hundreds of e-rickshaw drivers find themselves left in the lurch. The drivers complain that they were used by various parties for their own political dividends and when they needed support and assistance, they were abandoned.
“This ban on our e-rickshaw has ended everything. What will we do now? What will happen to our families,” said Sanjay Kumar, an e-rickshaw driver. “We try to take out our e-rickshaws late at night so that we can do some brisk business but even then police personnel come and beat us up,” he added.
He urged that the government should to do away with the condition of a person being a Class X pass-out for driving an e-rickshaw as it would result in snatching away the livelihood of many. He also demanded that the government should cut the Rs 5 lakh cost of registration and give clearance to a specific model of rickshaw.
“The transport department is targeting battery rickshaw operators and harassing them unnecessarily. E-rickshaws are one of the most eco-friendly and convenient mode of transport in the national Capital. However, lack of clear policies is affecting us badly. The lethargy of the government in drafting a clear-cut policy is leading to unnecessary harassment of the operators,” said Kumar.
Another e-rickshaw driver who is also the union secretary of the union in East Delhi echoed similar thoughts. Jaspal Singh said: “We got assurances from political parties that the issue will soon be resolved. However, the case is still pending in high court. Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari and Arvind Kejriwal have failed to deliver on their promises.”
He further added: “Many drivers took a loan and started plying e-rickshaws as it was more promising but our families have been starving for months now, ever since the controversy erupted. When will our “ache din” come? We are poor and it is becoming very difficult to make ends meet. We are not asking for anything from the government, we just want permission to ply our e-rickshaws.”
“This ban on our e-rickshaw has ended everything. What will we do now? What will happen to our families,” said Sanjay Kumar, an e-rickshaw driver. “We try to take out our e-rickshaws late at night so that we can do some brisk business but even then police personnel come and beat us up,” he added.
He urged that the government should to do away with the condition of a person being a Class X pass-out for driving an e-rickshaw as it would result in snatching away the livelihood of many. He also demanded that the government should cut the Rs 5 lakh cost of registration and give clearance to a specific model of rickshaw.
“The transport department is targeting battery rickshaw operators and harassing them unnecessarily. E-rickshaws are one of the most eco-friendly and convenient mode of transport in the national Capital. However, lack of clear policies is affecting us badly. The lethargy of the government in drafting a clear-cut policy is leading to unnecessary harassment of the operators,” said Kumar.
Another e-rickshaw driver who is also the union secretary of the union in East Delhi echoed similar thoughts. Jaspal Singh said: “We got assurances from political parties that the issue will soon be resolved. However, the case is still pending in high court. Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari and Arvind Kejriwal have failed to deliver on their promises.”
He further added: “Many drivers took a loan and started plying e-rickshaws as it was more promising but our families have been starving for months now, ever since the controversy erupted. When will our “ache din” come? We are poor and it is becoming very difficult to make ends meet. We are not asking for anything from the government, we just want permission to ply our e-rickshaws.”