New Delhi:
Four passengers are already squeezed into an e-rickshaw. Yet the driver keeps calling for more. One passenger shifts to make space; another ends up beside the driver. It is a familiar scene on Delhi's short, inexpensive last-mile journeys.
Delhi Traffic Police recorded 10,499 violations involving an extra passenger on the driver's seat between January 1 and September 15 last year. That compares with 4,503 cases in all of 2024.
Now, the Delhi government's new draft e-rickshaw scheme puts those risks back in focus. Four passengers, excluding the driver. No passenger on the driver's seat. Nobody is standing during the ride. And no music or other audio that disturbs or distracts.
These are not new passenger limits. Delhi's 2014 e-rickshaw scheme already barred overcrowding and passengers sharing the driver's seat. The draft now seeks to strengthen compliance through fresh certification, inspections and tougher action against unsafe vehicles.
Why Passenger Safety Is Back In Focus
E-rickshaws provide affordable last-mile connectivity between Metro stations, markets and neighbourhoods. But overcrowding, driver behaviour and road accidents have raised questions about how safely they operate.
Between January 1 and September 15, 2025, e-rickshaws were involved in 108 road accidents in Delhi, leaving 24 people dead and 100 injured, according to traffic police figures.
What Passengers Can And Cannot Do
The draft reiterates the four-passenger limit, with no more than 40 kg of luggage. E-rickshaws must have a maximum speed of 25 kmph and a motor power of up to 2,000 watts.
Passengers cannot occupy the driver's seat or travel standing. Drivers cannot operate under the influence of alcohol or drugs or carry explosives, inflammable materials or hazardous chemicals.
There is a rule for music too. Drivers cannot play music or other audio during duty hours if it causes disturbance or distraction. However, this is not a complete ban on music. Delhi's 2014 scheme had prohibited drivers from playing any audio device while on duty.
Focus On Women Safety
Drivers cannot misbehave with passengers or those waiting to board. They must help senior citizens and persons with disabilities get in and out.
In any incident of indecent behaviour, molestation or eve-teasing involving a woman passenger, the driver must immediately alert police and take the victim to the nearest police station, police post or PCR van, the draft says.
Vehicles must be kept clean and carry safety equipment, including a first-aid box and fire extinguisher, as specified by the Transport Department.
When Could An E-Rickshaw Be Impounded?
An e-rickshaw with a bull bar, frontal crash guard or unsafe or non-compliant battery would be impounded until the problem is fixed.
All registered vehicles must have High Security Registration Plates and a yellow reflective strip at the rear. The owner's name, address and phone number must be painted on the left side.
Vehicles cannot obstruct pedestrians or traffic when parked or ply on notified restricted roads. Used batteries must be sent to authorised recyclers, while battery technology must meet standards notified by the Centre.
What's New For Owners And Drivers?
Every e-rickshaw would need a digitally issued E-Rickshaw Compliance Certificate (ECC), valid for two years and linked to one vehicle and one licensed driver with a PSV badge. Fitness, insurance and battery compliance would be checked.
Already registered vehicles would get 90 days after notification to obtain an ECC, subject to any extension. Those operating without one after the deadline could be impounded; disposal proceedings may begin if an owner fails to obtain the certificate within 15 days of impounding.
For unregistered vehicles, the proposal is harsher: immediate impounding, no release, and crushing and auctioning of the vehicle. Even leased batteries would not be returned.
The scheme also proposes a cap of 2.5 lakh e-rickshaws after the compliance window, with ownership limits of five vehicles for individuals and 100 for eligible entities. Entities reaching 25 vehicles would need an aggregator licence.
The Transport Department has given the public and other stakeholders 30 days from publication of the draft to submit their suggestions and objections. The rules will come into effect only after the scheme is notified in the Official Gazette.