Allahabad HC flags unchecked e-rickshaw growth in Lucknow, says 'beyond carrying capacity'

The Allahabad High Court has expressed concern over the unchecked increase in the number of e-rickshaws in Lucknow, observing that their numbers have exceeded the carrying capacity of the city’s roads and contributed to growing traffic-management problems.

A bench of Justices Alok Mathur and Amitabh Kumar Rai made the observations on Thursday while hearing a public interest litigation concerning traffic management in the Uttar Pradesh capital. The court was informed that e-rickshaws are currently exempt from registration and permit requirements under a notification issued by the Centre, which was cited as a major factor behind their proliferation.

Centre made party to PIL

The state government informed the court that it had written to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways seeking delegation of necessary powers to enable Uttar Pradesh to regulate e-rickshaws more effectively.

Taking note of the submission, the bench directed that the Union government, through the secretary of the road transport and highways ministry, be impleaded as a respondent in the PIL.

The court was also told that the transport commissioner had written to the Lucknow police commissioner seeking the issuance of a notification under Rule 178 of the Uttar Pradesh Motor Vehicles Rules, 1998. The provision enables the competent authority to restrict the movement of vehicles on specified roads or stretches.

The proposal is currently being examined by the police commissioner and the notification is expected to be issued shortly. The bench made it clear that once restrictions are notified, they must be strictly enforced and e-rickshaws should not be permitted to operate on the designated stretches.

Parking near transport hubs flagged

The High Court also took note of e-rickshaws being parked around railway stations, bus stations and major intersections, adding to congestion and disrupting the movement of traffic. The Lucknow Municipal Corporation assured the court that it would work with the traffic police and other police authorities to identify designated parking spaces as well as passenger pick-up and drop-off points for e-rickshaws. The measures are intended to reduce indiscriminate roadside parking and prevent e-rickshaws from crowding major junctions and transport hubs.

Traffic police strength below requirement

The issue of manpower for traffic management also came up during the hearing. The state government informed the bench that recruitment of 1,028 constables dedicated to traffic management was underway.

The selection process for 11 traffic inspectors and 1,277 traffic sub-inspectors is also in progress. At present, around 1,200 personnel are deployed at intersections across Lucknow against an estimated ideal requirement of about 1,500, the court was informed.

The additional recruitment is expected to strengthen traffic regulation and enforcement in the city, particularly at busy intersections and stretches witnessing persistent congestion.

153 defects found on Polytechnic-Kamta road

The bench was further informed that authorities had identified 153 defects on the Polytechnic-Kamta road, another issue being examined as part of the wider proceedings concerning Lucknow’s traffic infrastructure.

The court has posted the matter for its next hearing on September 21. The PWD chief engineer and an additional municipal commissioner have been directed to appear before the bench at the next hearing.