Expert Group Constituted
An Expert Group has been constituted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India, to look into the issues of livelihood concerns of the Rickshaw pullers and other people earning a living out of Non-Motorized Vehicles (NMVS) in urban areas and help prepare a draft bill for this.
The bill is being drafted in order to protect the constitutional right to equality and livelihood of persons engaged in the non-motorized vehicles sector, such as cycle rickshaws and hand carts.
It is expected that the legislation would promote the use of eco-friendly employment friendly and cost efficient non-motorized vehicles as an integral and necessary part of vehicular traffic.
Public Consultation Needed
While the intent of the bill is to be appreciated, SUM Net suggests that a process for wider public consultation must be put in place in at least all the cities where cycle rickshaws are in operation. The consultations must have a structured deliberation and reporting process, clearly providing the context, the issues and different points of views etc, so that an informed and fair debate may take place.
The links with the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP), which the Ministry of Urban Development is currently revising, must be explored and the NMV Bill must be seen as an integral part of the operationalization of the NUTP
For more information contact:
Brij Kumar Aggarwal,
Joint Secretary (Urban Poverty Alleviation),
Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Government of India,
Nirman Bhawan, Maulana Azad Road,
New Delhi – 110011.