Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party Chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday accused BJP-led central government of doing “nothing” for the e-rickshaw drivers while asking it to resolve the issue and ensure the plying of the vehicles within 10 to 15 days failing which they will launch an agitation.
Pointing out “shortcomings” in the notification issued by the Union Road Transport and Highway Ministry to regularise e-rickshaws in the national capital, the former Delhi Chief Minister claimed that not a single e-rickshaw driver has benefited from it and also came up with solutions for the same.
“Four things have to be fulfilled by an e-rickshaw driver to make his vehicle ply on the roads. The model should be approved by a government agency. One has to get a driving licence but the person has to be Xth class pass. One should have insurance and a registration number like any other commercial vehicle,” he said while speaking at a gathering of e-rickshaw drivers at Jantar Mantar here today.
There are several shortcomings in this policy, if every individual will go for testing and approval of his e-rickshaw, it will cost him around five lakh rupees. How can somebody who has spent Rs 80 thousand to one lakh to buy the vehicle shell out Rs five lakh for its testing, he said.
“Secondly, we have no problem with the licence clause but the education ceiling should be waived as there are a number of drivers who are illiterate,” he said.
Kejriwal demanded that the Central government should call a meeting of all the e-rickshaw manufacturers within one week and ask them to submit one piece each of their models which can be tested. If the e-rickshaw is approved, all the vehicles of the same model can be allowed to ply on the roads.
“But there a number of rickshaws which were assembled or whose manufacturers are no longer in the market. Government should also come up with a plan to regularize these vehicles as well,” he said.
Arguing that providing licences, insurance and registration numbers to around two lakh e-rickshaw drivers will prove to be a problem and will also become opening for corruption, Kejriwal said that the government should organize large-scale camps for the same.
“We are not forcing the government, they can find a solution in 10 to 15 days. Let the e-rickshaw play on the roads, tell the police not to stalk them. But if the government does not find a solution soon then we will struggle on the roads, we will launch a movement,” he said.
Talking about the “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan”, the AAP chief termed it as a “good” thing and said that his party will support such things but if it will find something wrong it will oppose it.
We are not here to just oppose for the sake of opposing, he said. Kejriwal, however still took dig at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had named nine celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar and Priyanka Chopra for his “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan”, by nominating the ‘safai karmchari’ as the tenth brand ambassador of the cleanliness drive.
AAP claimed that the government notification does not address the concerns of e-rickshaw drivers and hit out and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari for making tall promises at Ramlila Ground on June 17 regarding plying of e-rickshaw in the national capital. He accused Gadkari of “cheating” the e-rickshaw drivers.
“When I had met him a few days ago with a delegation, on September 16, the minister himself told me that his officials and the Solicitor General had cited legal hurdles in the implementation of announcements made by him at the Ramlila Ground,” he said.
During the meeting, several e-rickshaw drivers shared their plight and spoke about the hardships they were facing after the ban was imposed. Most of them said that they were facing financial hardships in their lives.
One of the e-rickshaw driver, identified as Michael questioned the Modi government by saying that if the government can bring an ordinance overnight to appoint Nripendra Misra as principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi then why can’t it make a policy even after four months after coming into power so that two lakh e-rickshaw drivers can earn their livelihood.
