Delhi govt impounded 100 e-rickshaws daily during August 22-28, data shows

During August 1-28, around 1,700 unregistered e-rickshaws in Delhi were seized and sent for scrapping following a directive from the lieutenant governor to address the “illegal proliferation” of these vehicles.

On August 8, Lt Governor VK Saxena chaired a high-level meeting focused on alleviating congestion in the national capital, where the transport department was instructed to impound unregistered e-rickshaws.

These battery-operated vehicles have increasingly become a popular choice for last-mile connectivity.

Officials said that 39 teams operating on the Outer Ring Road and Inner Ring Road were involved in the impounding process.

In response to Saxena’s orders, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of impounded vehicles. Once seized, these vehicles are crushed with road rollers or excavators and then sent to a registered scrapping facility.

Transport department data reveals that only 134 e-rickshaws were impounded from January to March. This number rose to 732 between April and July.

However, from August 1 to 28, the total number of impounded e-rickshaws reached 1,777. The data indicates that 716 e-rickshaws were seized between August 1 and August 15, averaging 47 vehicles per day. From August 16 to August 21, 361 e-rickshaws were impounded at a daily average of 60. Between August 22 and 28, the daily average increased to 100, with 700 e-rickshaws seized.

In 2023, the Delhi government impounded 834 e-rickshaws from January to March, with 61 seized between April and June. Seizures increased to 1,277 between July and September before dropping to 233 from October to December.

An official said that the impounded e-rickshaws, being non-registerable, can only be scrapped through an auction. The transport department has decided to reduce the waiting period for scrapping from 90 days to seven days. According to the Delhi Maintenance and Management of Parking Rules, 2019, towed vehicles not reclaimed within 90 days can be auctioned by the impounding agency, though the rules do not specifically address unregistered vehicles. Consequently, the decision was made to shorten the waiting time to seven days.

Current figures indicate there are approximately 120,000 registered e-rickshaws in Delhi. However, many operate without valid registration, leading to congestion and safety concerns.

Impounded e-rickshaws are stored at a dedicated site in Burari, with additional sites in Sarai Kale Khan and Dwarka. More vacant land is needed for establishing new impounding locations, the official added.

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The crackdown has caused concern among e-rickshaw drivers about their livelihoods.

Shyam Kumar, an e-rickshaw driver said, “Yesterday, my e-rickshaw was impounded by enforcement officers. When I asked how to retrieve it, they said it would be scrapped soon”.

“I had purchased the e-rickshaw by borrowing money from my relatives, and now it will be scrapped. It was my livelihood. What am I supposed to do now?” he added.

Another driver shared a similar experience, stating, “I’ve been driving my e-rickshaw for a year without issues. Last year, it was impounded, but I recovered it after paying a fee. Now, I’ve been told it will be scrapped. I’ve pleaded with them not to scrap it, but my pleas have been ignored”. (With inputs from PTI)