HC seeks Delhi govt. response on plea to regulate e-rickshaws

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi government and traffic police to respond to a petition seeking regulation of e-rickshaws in the Capital.

The court was hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) by Manish Parashar, whose eight-year-old daughter was crushed to death last year after the speeding e-rickshaw, which was uninsured and plying on a prohibited road, overturned.

Issuing notices to the city government, the transport department, the traffic police, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the court asked the authorities to state the e-rickshaw-related measures they have adopted.

The petition, filed through advocates Gaurav Arya and Naveen Bamel, stated that there was “unchecked proliferation of e-rickshaws” and that they have become a “relentless menace”. The unregistered and unregulated e-rickshaws continue to ply in large numbers without adhering to any safety and technical standards, resulting in accidents, traffic obstruction, and grave risk to the public, the plea added.

The petition claimed that according to Delhi Traffic Police data, there were 108 accidents involving e-rickshaws between January 1 and August 20, 2025, resulting in 26 deaths and 130 injuries, an average of three fatalities per month.

The plea said that although a Delhi Gazette notification prohibited e-rickshaw plying and parking on 236 specified roads, it was “often not complied with strictly on the ground”.

The petitioner prayed for directions to the authorities to immediately and rigorously enforce the regulatory framework for e-rickshaws.