NEW DELHI: In a move to end a longstanding confusion regarding the uniform colour of auto-rickshaw drivers in the capital, the State Transport Authority (STA) has approved an amendment to Rule 7 of the Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules (DMVR), 1993. This decision addresses a years-old contradiction between the official rule and departmental orders that has led to repeated penal action against drivers.
As per the DMVR rule that dates back to 1993, auto-rickshaw drivers were originally mandated to wear khaki-coloured uniforms when drivers and conductors of all passenger vehicles were brought under a uniform dress code.
However, over time, khaki became widely associated with home guards and civil defense personnel. To avoid confusion and distinguish auto drivers, administrative orders were periodically issued instructing them to wear steel grey uniforms instead. This divergence between the DMVR’s khaki requirement and the department’s grey directive created legal ambiguity.
Drivers, often caught between these conflicting instructions, faced hefty challans of up to Rs 20,000 for non-compliance, even though their per mits did not explicitly mention a required uniform colour. “The STA Board has approved the proposal by amending Rule 7 of Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules, 1993.
The Auto Rickshaw Branch may take appropriate and necessary steps in this regard,” read the resolution adopted in the STA meeting. Currently, while grey uniforms are being enforced on the ground, the absence of clear mention in the official rules and permit conditions has left auto drivers vulnerable to enforcement discrepancies.
Recognising this, the STA has now empowered the Auto Rickshaw Branch of the Transport Department to finalise and standardise the uniform colour. Once decided, the uniform specification will be formally incorporated into auto-rickshaw permit conditions, removing any scope for misinterpretation.
“…for the sake of clarity, the said condition is required to be incorporated in the permit condition,” the STA stated.