New Delhi, Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s MLAs on Monday blamed the MCDs and traffic police for issues related to encroachments and no management policy for e-rickshaws in the city.
The MLAs highlighted the issues related to their respective constituencies in the Delhi Assembly.
The issue arose after the government said there is no policy related to the functioning of the e-rickshaws in the city.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot informed the House that as of July 31, there were a total of 71,092 registered e-rickshaws in the city.
“There was no count of the total number of e-rickshaws and the number of e-rickshaws running without registration,” Gahlot said.
MLA Jarnail Singh said that although the e-rickshaws were providing employment to the people, they have also created traffic issues in almost all the areas of the city.
“People of my constituency face a lot of issues with e-rickshaws running without any directions and standing anywhere they want to. This also creates traffic congestion,” Singh said.
He asked if there is any proposal from the government to confirm all battery rickshaws are running as per the rules.
MLA Praveen Kumar said the DTC buses prefer to go over the flyover in his area as the e-rickshaws stand below the flyover and capture whole roads.
Reacting to the complaint, Gahlot said there are no rules as of now.
“Effective steps will be taken in the direction,” Gahlot said.
He also informed that no requests for stands for e-rickshaws have been received by his department.
While the Minister said the management of traffic is for the traffic police to deal with, AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj said the Transport Department can change the powers with the traffic police and can help in the management of the e-rickshaws.
The MLAs blamed the MCDs for the encroachment on the roads.
PWD Minister Sateyendar Jain said the MCDs and the Delhi Police “take money from the shops which encroach the roads in Delhi.”
BJP MLA Jagdish Pradhan said the encroachments on Wazirabad road slow down the traffic movement.
“At times it took over two hours to cross the road. I request the Minister to take action against the officials responsible,” Pradhan said.
In a written reply Jain accepted that the road between Khajuri Khas and Chandbagh was encroached upon and despite repeated requests to the civic body, it continues.
MLA Somnath Bharti said while the road came under the PWD, which comes under the Delhi government, the encroachment removal is with the BJP-ruled civic body.
AAP MLA Rakhi Birla said people blame the government for the encroachments without realising that it is for the MCDs to remove them.
The MLAs also demanded that the responsibility for the removal of the encroachments on the roads should be given to the Delhi government.