Delhi’s bike taxi drivers have written to L-G V.K. Saxena and the AAP government, saying that nearly 50,000 of them have been rendered jobless due to the approval of a scheme that mandates aggregators offering passenger services to switch to electric two-wheelers. “If someone is riding a petrol bike, how can they suddenly switch to an electric one? Neither are there electric bikes available in the market, and nor do we have the money to buy them,” said the letter.
The policy, hailed to be key in Delhi’s fight against pollution by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, was approved by the L-G on Friday and is likely to be notified soon.
The Apna Bike Taxi Association, in an open letter to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and the Delhi government, said it has appealed to the authorities several times to get its grievances addressed but the pleas have not been heard.
“We feel that the government should understand that if someone is riding a petrol motorcycle, how can they suddenly get an electric bike. Neither are there electric bike taxis available in the market nor do we have the money to buy them,” the letter read.
Last month, more than 1,500 bike taxi drivers had written to the LG demanding that they be given the same timeline for conversion to electric vehicles as their counterparts in delivery services.
While appreciating the Delhi government’s intent to transition to electric vehicles and reduce pollution levels across the city, the drivers underlined that harsh measures like allowing only electric bike taxis to operate will take away their livelihoods.