E-Rickshaw Numbers and Route Permits: Madhya Pradesh High Court Directs Centre to Frame Policy Within 60 Days

Nisha Gurjar filed the writ petition as a public interest litigation (opening paragraph). The petitioner's case was that e-rickshaws, introduced over the last ten years, ply without any Rules regulating their movement, and it was submitted that this was "causing lot of congestion and anarchy on the road" (opening paragraph). The petitioner also said that free plying of e-rickshaws prejudices other vehicle owners who hold permits and pay hefty fees for them (opening paragraph). The Deputy Solicitor General for the Union and counsel for the State agreed that e-rickshaws choking traffic and plying without permits, licences or regulation of routes "is a national problem" (para 2).

The Court disposed of the petition with time-bound directions (para 4). Through the Deputy Solicitor General, the Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, is to frame within 60 days a policy on plying of e-rickshaws, including regulation of their numbers on a road in a particular city and issuance of route permits, so as to facilitate their even movement and decongest the roads (para 3). The Union is to circulate the policy to all State Governments within 60 days (para 3). Madhya Pradesh, in consultation with the Transport Commissioner, may make changes needed for its geographical and demographical conditions within a further 30 days, and must notify a comprehensive policy not later than 120 days from the order, to be followed by all owners of e-rickshaws and e-vehicles run as transport vehicles (para 3). Recording a Government Advocate's input that some models tend to topple on short turns, the Court said it expects the Union also to regulate the structure of e-rickshaws for a better centre of gravity, and asked that this be conveyed to the Union (paras 6-7).