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Lok Sabha passes bill to regularise e-rickshaws

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Lok Sabha passed a bill on Thursday to regularise e-rickshaws and provide for driving licences for these battery-operated vehicles, mostly plying in Delhi, with government promising to incorporate members' suggestions in rules to be framed once it becomes a law.

"This is an amendment bill. If we pass the bill, I will incorporate rules and regulations suggested by you," Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari told opposition MPs who demanded that the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, 2014 be sent to standing committee for a closer scrutiny.

Replying to a debate, Gadkari also spoke about "pollution- free India" and the government's ambitious plan to convert polluting diesel buses to "e-buses." He said the proposal is being discussed and he will come to Parliament once it is approved.

Rejecting opposition's allegations that the bill was hurriedly brought to gain political mileage in poll-bound Delhi, Gadkari said the government was pushing for its early passage keeping in mind the plight of one crore poor rickshaw pullers who struggle for their daily bread and butter.

"The bill is brought not keeping in view Delhi elections," the Minister said, noting that drivers and passengers of e-rickshaws are poor people and a court order has affected over 2 lakh people who depend on them for their livelihood.

The Minister said an early passage of the bill will be a boon for one crore poor people who face a lot of health problems by plying cycle rickshaws manually. Gadkari said government has decided to provide low interest loan to the rickshaw pullers belonging to poor backward and minority communities to buy e-rickshaws. 

Gadkari said his Ministry has taken up the matter with the Social Justice Ministry and Minority Affairs Ministry and it has been decided to provide them loan at four per cent interest.

Contending that the government has not compromised on the safety issues associated with e-rickshaws, he said it has been decided that the equipment of the eco-friendly vehicles should be standardised and designed in a way that even women can ply such rickshaws for earning their livelihood.

Gadkari said he will discuss with Delhi government whether it can set up free solar charging facilities in the national capital so that the poor rickshaw pullers will be get benefited out of it during summer months.

The minister also said that one who drives the e-rickshaw will be its owner. During the discussion, Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal) said opposition by some members against e-rickshaws on the ground that they would add to traffic congestion and cause accident was borne out of "anti-poor mindset".

It was only the poor who were plying these vehicles and those interested in reducing traffic on road should be concerned about the number of four-wheelers owned by the well-off families.

Patel and Meenakshi Lekhi (BJP) said e-rickshaws would help rickshaw-pullers graduate to these vehicles, terming the practice of a man pulling another man "inhuman". Ranjeet Ranjan (Cong) expressed concern over the safety aspects of e-rickshaws and said she would not allow her children to travel in these vehicles.

Praful Patel (BJP) and Rajesh Ranjan (RJD) also spoke.

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