Ban ‘jugaad’ vehicles in city, motor tribunal tells police

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has directed the police to ensure a complete ban on ‘jugaad’ vehicles or cycle rickshaws fitted with modified scooter engines in the city terming these as “menace” to public safety.

The court took on record a police report that 32 such rickshaws have been impounded in Jaitpur area in south-east Delhi alone and said that the possibility of thousands of such three-wheelers with illegal scooter engines plying in entire Delhi cannot be ruled out.

It also observed that under the Motor Vehicle Act, these ‘jugaads’ rickshaws do not even come under the ambit of any motor vehicle and therefore cannot ply on roads of Delhi.

The court sought an action taken report from the police by February 17 in this regard.

The order came in an accident case involving a rashly driven ‘jugaad’ rickshaw that hurt a motorcyclist’s leg in Jaitpur last month.

“Plying of even cycle rickshaws itself is not allowed within jurisdiction of South Delhi Municipal Corporation and New Delhi Municipal Council. As many as 32 such ‘jugaads’ have been found plying illegally in the jurisdiction of police station Jaitpur only. There is every possibility that thousands of such modified cycle rickshaws with the illegal scooter engines might be plying in Delhi,” Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) presiding officer RK Chauhan said.

“Plying of such ‘jugaads’ is a menace to the safety and security of the pedestrian and other road users,” Chauhan said.

The court said Delhi Police Commissioner and Commissioner (Transport) Delhi government were required to be inti- mated about the menace of such rickshaws to ensure these are not seen on the roads.

“In order to ensure that such cycle rickshaws don’t ply on the roads of Delhi so as to protect the road users from the menace of these ‘jugaad’ vehicles, an intimation needs to be sent to the commissioner of police, Delhi and commissioner (transport) Delhi government for taking action in that regard to ensure that no such cycle rickshaw would ply to ensure safety and security of pedestrian as well as road users of Delhi and avoid such accident,” the court said.

It also took note of the compliance report filed by DCP, southeast stating that all SHOS have been directed to check plying of such vehicles. “DCP southeast district and DCP (traffic) South and South-east district are directed to ensure that no such cycle rickshaw ply in south east district,” it said.