The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday asked the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation to convene a meeting for rationalisation of rickshaw stands. The Chandigarh Administration has been asked to explain whether it has any plans for expansion of eco-cabs in the city beautiful.
At present, eco-cabs facility is available only till Sector 30. The HC was on Friday told that the response to eco-cabs is five calls per hour.
Navdeep Asija, the man credited for launch of eco cabs in Punjab, on Friday highlighted the constraints and lack of budget to publicise the project. He informed a division bench headed by Justice Surya Kant that mostly elderly people and those living in northern sectors were availing the eco-cab facility. Amicus curiae, Reeta Kohli told the court that the Chandigarh Administration has not invested anything in the project. She also submitted that both Punjab and Haryana were quiet about the project and have not responded so far in earnest.
The bench remarked that market forces will determine the demand and supply of such cabs. Asija asserted that rationalisation of rickshaw stands is required. On the other hand, Kohli submitted that in PGI rickshaws are not allowed. To look into the matter, the bench asked Kohli to move an application requesting to implead PGI as a respondent.
On the other hand, the bench directed Chief Secretaries and Director, Local Bodies of Punjab and Haryana to submit status reports on eco-cabs and whether they intend to expand the number of such cabs in both the states. The states have also been directed to submit an overall report on their vision for the Non Motor Transport.
The development took place on Friday during the resumed hearing of a petition arising of a suo motu notice of a news item published by The Indian Express. The news report had highlighted the significance of eco-cabs, pollution friendly cabs.
NLNMB to be tabled in Parliament
During the resumed hearing, Advocate Reeta Kohli said that the National-Level Non Motorised Bill (NLNMB) which is likely to be tabled in the winter session of Parliament finds mention of the case pending in the HC.
