Parliament Pass Motor Vehicles Bill

11 March, New Delhi

Parliament has passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015, with the Rajya Sabha adopting it Wednesday .

The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill last week.Replying to a brief discussion in the Rajya Sabha,Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said, the Bill will benefit the poor and give boost to Make in India initiative as E-rickshaws are not manufactured indigenously.

Gadkari said efforts will be made to provide loans on three to four per cent rate of interest to people belonging to SCs, STs and OBCs.

Now e-rickshaw can ply on roads across the country as it has been brought under the purview of the amended Act. Licenses will also be given to women and physically challenged people to give them more opportunities of employment.

The battery-operated three wheeler vehicles had gone off roads after the Delhi High Court had banned their plying in July last year on safety concerns. In October last, the government had notified the rules for plying of e-rickshaws, making driver’s license mandatory for operating them and limiting their maximum speed to 25 kilometres.

Earlier, registration and driver’s license were not required for these vehicles as they were not covered under the Motor Vehicles Act.