NEW DELHI: The city has been fighting a losing battle against private vehicles but it had chosen to clamp down on the most eco-friendly mode of transport - cycle rickshaws - to prevent congestion. However, tri-cycles finally got some respite on Monday after the Supreme Court upheld their right to ply in the city without facing harassment. The judgment has been welcomed by many who felt that it addressed two necessary issues - providing clean public transport and protecting human rights of the migrant population. But a certain segment says that absence of regulations would not only compound congestion on roads but also worsen Delhi's population problem.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi had placed a cap of 99,000 on the number of rickshaws in the city, colour coding them zone wise for easy identification. Under the municipal bylaws, the authority had the power to confiscate, crush and sell for crap any rickshaw found violating rules. In 2007, the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had asked the government to end licensing for rickshaw pullers and have them registered. Though MCD took the first part of the order seriously, no policy on registration has been formulated till now. Consequently, no license has been renewed or issued since then.
"The government found it easy to target poor migrant workers who were trying to earn an honest living. Unlike private vehicles, rickshaws did not have licenses on demand," said Madhu Kishwar of NGO Manushi. "The licensing procedure itself was arbitrary, first trapping the puller in criminality and then taking away most of his money in the form of fees and bribes. The law was equally absurd, making it mandatory for the puller to also be the owner of the rickshaw. If one can own and rent out several cabs or trucks, why can't rickshaw pullers. Many of them are also migrant labourers who rent rickshaws when they are in the city," she added.
Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of Centre for Science and Environment says that 45% of all daily trips undertaken in the city are for distances less than 5 km, making them ideal for walking or use of rickshaws. "We have to devise a way of integrating these vehicles in urban planning. Many arterial roads will have dedicated corridors for cycles and cycle rickshaws and they will play a huge role in providing the last mile connectivity from your door step to other modes of public transport," she says.
However, Sanjeev Bhargava, general secretary of the Chandni Chowk Sarva Vyapar Mandal, says that an unbridled increase in number of rickshaws will only add to chaos on city roads. "In Mayur Vihar, there are more rickshaws than the actual demand. They do not follow rules, cannot be trained - since rickshaw pullers are a floating population - and are safe for only small distances. Even the master plan says that they should be permitted on arterial roads only where 'feasible'. If private vehicles are a problem, let the court issue orders against them too. A Central Road Research Institute study said that rickshaws were the main cause of congestion in Chandni Chowk after which they were banned. We want there number to be capped," he said.
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