The decision of barring cycle rickshaw from entering to bustling areas of Chandni Chowk seems to me not an easy morsel to be digested easily. Say it my sympathy towards thousands of rickshaw pullers or say it my listlessness for crap idea of Delhi High Court to accept it a way to make Delhi a global city.
Many will argue that getting rid off rickshaw from Chandni Chowk may save thousands of commuters from traffic snarl. In fact, this was the basis upon which the court ordered exude of 2500 of rickshaw plying between Lahore Gate (of Red Fort) and Fatehpuri Masjid. In words of one of MCD persons, "They (rickshaw pullers) make it very difficult for the fast moving vehicles to pass. They stand in clusters and create congestion." My lord, If traffic snarl is the reason, why don't you order some initiatives to be taken to chuck out hundreds of cars parked on both sides of the road? And yes, make also a rule to curb the growing number of vehicle in Delhi. You must be aware, my lord, that the number of vehicle (around 4.4 million) we have in Delhi is equal to the sum of total vehicle in three other metro, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
15 small CNG buses have begun plying on the route, Digambar Jain Mandir-Fatehpuri Masjid, charging flat rate of Rs 5. I wonder while thinking which way it is going to act as palliative for thousands of commuters. I agree, it is definitely a good move if we think of environmental issues like pollution. But is it possible for 15 CNG buses replacing 2500 of rickshaws in so little time? It is not even a week since the shuttle service has started, and commuters are grumbling over the inconvenience they are suffering. Buses are most often too crowded to occupy a single bone. What if a senior citizen or a physically challenged man has to rush urgently to their destination? Will they wait for crowded CNG bus to get pissed into or they will call or a rickshaw Wallah Bhaiya, and have a place (costing a meager sum of Rs 10) worth occupying 2 butts?
Leave arguments. My recent reading of BBC website says that authorities in global cities like Singapore, Paris and London are planning to license rickshaw to ply on their roads. If sophisticated city like London can think of rickshaw being an eco-friendly and comfortable way of commuting, and seems excited to see it running in Oxford's streets, why can't Chandni Chowk accept it wholeheartedly as its most favourite commuting tool?
Should court be so supportive to those local businessmen who appealed for rickshaw ban in the area, simply because they are a bit annoyed every morning due to traffic puzzle while driving their Chevrolet and Honda? Reasons are numerous to advocate for allowing rickshaw to ply again on Chandni Chowk. At least think of those rickshaw pullers toiling hard, and can't even think of earning more than Rs 150-250 a day. There are 15000-20000 rickshaw plying in Chandni Chowk and its adjoining areas. The ban on rickshaw to ply in Chandni Chowk will affect their livelihood badly. Thousands of them might be able now to earn only half the penny they used earlier. And, little to surprise, several hundreds of them might lose their profession, and will loiter to seek new job.
