A bill paving the way for plying of e-rickshaws in the national capital by bringing them under the Motor Vehicle Act and providing for driving licences to their operators was introduced in Lok Sabha Monday.

 

 

 The Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, 2014, was introduced by Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.

 

 Opposition members protested that this as well as the National Captial Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provision) Amendment Bill, 2014 introduced by Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, had been mentioned in the supplementary list of business and they had not been given enough time to study the bill. 

 

 Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said this was it was fourth occasion when the government has brought a bill by mentioning it in the supplementary list of business.  "You, yourself, are breaking the law," he said. However, the chair allowed introduction of the bills.

 

 Gadkari said the motor vehicles amendment bill concerned livelihood of thousands of people.

 

 The bill aims to bring e-cart and e-rickshaw in the ambit of MV Act, and seeks to provide employment to "innumerable people who have upgraded from the manually provided rickshaws to the electric-powered three-wheeled vehicles". It also provised for relaxation in granting learner's licence to e-carts and e-rickshaws.

 

 Delhi High Court had banned plying of e-rickshaws on the city roads, saying they were running "illegally and were hazardous to other traffic as well as citizens".