The Delhi high court on Wednesday stayed the city government’s recent move prohibiting auto drivers from putting advertisements and posters on autorickshaws.
A vacation bench of justices P.K. Bhasin and V.P. Vaish, while hearing a plea of a group of auto drivers against the government’s June 6 order, also issued a notice to the transport department of Delhi government and sought a response by July 8.
The Delhi government had recently initiated the move to prosecute autorickshaw owners or drivers under Rule 71(2) of Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules for displaying advertisements on their vehicles.
Appearing for the drivers, advocate Prashant Bhushan told the court that the government action is discriminatory against poor auto drivers and is also targeted at Aam Aadmi Party whose posters were put up by thousands of auto drivers. The auto drivers said “the said rule is ultra vires the enabling Act which empowers the respondent (govt) to frame rules to regulate (not even ‘restrict’) but not to prohibit the advertisements on autorickshaws.”
According to the plea, the respondent has arbitrarily announced through an advertisement on June 6, 2013 that no advertisement can be displayed on public service vehicles such as autorickshaws, taxis, buses etc. Without permission from the state transport authority. “It further warned that Delhi government would be launching a special enforcement drive from June 15, 2013 to prosecute those who display advertisements on their vehicles,” the plea said.