HC pulls up North MCD over delay in regulation of cycle ricks in Old Delhi

as “pathetic” the progress made by the North Delhi municipal corporation to promote plying of regulated cycle rickshaws in the Walled City area, the Delhi high court has directed the corporation to intensify efforts to registrate rickshaws and licenses.

The high court is looking to decongest traffic in Chandni Chowk region — an area that requires ‘radical intervention’ which could include barring of private motorised vehicles on the main roads in future.

But to ensure that people have an alternative mode of transport, the court is of the view that regulated cycle rickshaws should be actively promoted.

Since December 2016, the North MCD has registered around 2,300 cycle rickshaws and issued licences to around 5,000 rickshaw pullers. “Considering the number of rickshaws plying in the city, which is estimated to be well over 10 lakhs, the progress can only be termed as ‘pathetic’,” the HC said.

The court had directed that April 1, 2017, onwards only registered cycle rickshaws and rickshaw pullers should ply in the Chandni Chowk area. “But the ground reality is that unregulated cycle rickshaws continue to ply. This is contempt of court,” Sanjay Bhargava, general secretary, Chandni Chowk Sarv Vypar Mandal told HT.

The court directed the commissioners of the North, South and East Delhi MCDs to immediately constitute their task forces to carry out the task of gathering statistics regarding the owners of the rickshaws.

Meanwhile, the HC observed that the North MCD was unable to give a specific timeline for completion of the various projects to be undertaken in respect of the Gandhi Maidan parking facility in compliance with the assurances given to the court in March 2016. The North MCD counsel said ₹300 crore has been approved for the project.

Also, the court directed the Traffic Police and the North MCD to take positive steps and appoint civil defence marshals at various points at four stretches — Lodhi Road, NH-24 from Noida Mod to Ring Road, Geeta Colony Bridge from Ring Road to Marginal Bandh Road, and SP Mukherjee Marg — to remove encroachments in order to make way for non-motorised vehicle lanes for exclusive use by cycles and ricks.