Over 4L e-rickshaw drivers fined so far this yr

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police Traffic Unit has issued fines to more than four lakh e-rickshaw drivers as of September 11 this year, compared with 3.52 lakh in 2024, for a range of violations including misbehaviour with officials, improper parking, obstructive driving and breaches of time restrictions. The figures highlight persistent concerns over traffic indiscipline and the safety risks posed by e-rickshaw operations across the capital.

Improper or obstructive parking remained the most common offence, with 2.93 lakh notices issued in 2025, a steep increase from 2.22 lakh in the previous year. Violations of time and route restrictions also rose, from 46,307 to 51,365 cases. Officials said such practices severely disrupt traffic flow and contribute to congestion on busy stretches. Some categories, however, recorded a decline. Cases of driving without a licence dropped from 27,724 to 23,345, while allowing unauthorised persons to drive fell from 14,599 to 12,047. Offences linked to defective or fancy number plates declined from 2,638 last year to 1,183 in 2025. Driving against the flow of traffic also reduced from 12,366 to 9,807, uninsured vehicles from 11,736 to 7,956, and the use of mobile phones while driving from 552 to 395.

Yet certain serious violations rose sharply. Obstructive driving, such as carrying an extra passenger on the driver’s seat, more than doubled from 4,503 to 10,171 cases. Red-light jumping increased from 1,279 to 1,694, while stop-line breaches went up from 285 to 420. Drunken driving cases almost doubled, rising from 335 to 583. Misbehaviour with police officials also climbed from 55 incidents to 84.

In 2025, 2,180 e-rickshaws were impounded, marginally fewer than the 2,229 in 2024. Police stressed that while some offences have declined, the overall rise points to the need for stricter enforcement and greater awareness, ensuring last-mile convenience does not compromise public safety.