(a) the rules, regulations and guidelines for registration and plying of e- rickshaws;
(b) whether suggestions have been received from various quarters for amendments in the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 so as to permit the registration and plying e-rickshaws in the country and if so, the details thereof along with the status thereof;
(c) whether the e-rickshaws have reportedly been involved in the violation of traffic rules/regulations etc.; and
(d) if so, the action taken against them?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI KRISHANPAL GURJAR)
(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 256 ANSWERED ON 24TH JULY, 2014 ASKED BY SHRI SULTAN AHMED REGARDING E-RICKSHAWS.
(a) & (b) Electric motor propelled 3-wheeled motor vehicles are currently included in the definition of motor vehicle in sub-section (28) of section 2 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (MV Act). However, in June 2014, thousands of poor e-rickshaw pullers met the Minister, Road Transport & Highways and requested for regularization of e-rickshaws. They argued that thousands of e-rickshaw pullers and their families depend on these vehicles for their livelihood. It is also considered important for lakhs of commuters using public transport as these vehicles provide last mile connectivity. Similar demands had been raised earlier also. Taking the aforesaid factors into account, the Ministry proposes to amend the definition of motor vehicle in the aforesaid sub-section (28) of section 2 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, so as to exempt 3-wheeled electric motor propelled vehicles with engine capacity of 650 watt or less and two-wheeled electric motor propelled vehicles with engine capacity of 250 watt or less from the purview of the Act. Matters relating to standards of e-rickshaws and verification of drivers etc. would thereafter be the responsibility of the local authorities.
(c) & (d) Enforcement of provisions of Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 and the Rules of Road Regulations, 1989 comes in the purview of State Governments/Union Territory Administrations.