The Delhi government has proposed capping the number of e-rickshaws in the national capital at 2.5 lakh, along with new registration, driver and vehicle-compliance rules intended to address road safety, traffic congestion and pollution. The draft Delhi E-Rickshaw Registration and Operation Scheme, 2026, was released on Sunday, October 18, and will remain open for public comments and suggestions for 30 days before it is finalised.
Under the draft, no new e-rickshaw registrations would be permitted after the proposed limit is reached, unless the government changes the provision following the consultation process. The proposal covers battery-powered three-wheelers with seating for a maximum of four passengers, carrying capacity of up to 40 kilograms and a maximum speed of 25 kilometres per hour.
The draft also proposes that only e-rickshaws registered as transport vehicles will be allowed to operate in Delhi. Drivers would need a valid E-Rickshaw Compliance Certificate, or ECC, to run the vehicles. The certificate would be issued digitally and would remain valid for two years.
The ECC would include the vehicle’s registration certificate details, information about the owner and driver, and the vehicle’s fitness status. The proposed system would link each e-rickshaw to only one driver, creating a digital record connecting the vehicle, its owner, its operator and its fitness information.
The draft places separate limits on ownership. Delhi residents would be allowed to own a maximum of five e-rickshaws. Companies and non-governmental organisations could own up to 100 e-rickshaws, provided they have charging facilities in place. The proposal does not state in the supplied report how existing owners or vehicles would be treated if the cap is reached.
The government has cited the rapid increase in e-rickshaws, road safety concerns, traffic jams and pollution control as the reasons for preparing the draft scheme. E-rickshaws are widely used for short-distance and last-mile travel, but the proposed rules seek to bring their numbers, registration status, driver linkage and vehicle fitness under a more controlled framework.
The 30-day public consultation will determine whether the proposed cap, ownership limits, charging requirement and compliance certificate provisions remain unchanged. The final scheme will be issued after the government considers the feedback received from the public.
