President Pranab Mukherjee has signed an ordinance to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 2014, paving the way for the plying of e-rickshaws on roads of the National Capital Region (NCR).The Union Cabinet had approved promulgation of the ordinance on December 24, 2014, as a bill in this regard could not be passed during the Winter Session of Parliament.E-rickshaws, or battery-operated three-wheeler vehicles, had gone off the roads of the national capital and adjoining areas after the Delhi High Court banned their plying last July over safety concerns.Under the new rules, e-rickshaws will be allowed to carry four passengers and 40 kilograms of luggage while e-carts would transport goods up to 310 kilograms.Under the Motor Vehicles Act, no person can be granted a learner's licence to drive a transport vehicle unless he or she has held the driving licence for a period of at least one year.As most e-rickshaw and e-cart drivers do not have any license for a year, the extant provision debarred them from operating e-rickshaws and e-carts.To remove this difficulty, the Cabinet approved a proposal of the Road Transport and Highways Ministry to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, through an ordinance. 

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING