Rickshaw decision 'allows Delhi's drivers to retain their livelihoods'
12/02/2010
A law which put a cap on the number of people allowed to drive rickshaws on the roads of India has been overturned in court.
Justice S Ravindra Bhat made the decision this week and rickshaw drivers have been celebrating the ruling - which means they can continue to support their families through the occupation.
It was judged that denying workers in Delhi the ability to work as rickshaw operators is a denial of their right to make a free choice regarding their income.
The decision comes despite a recent ruling which described pulling the vehicles as a degrading activity.
According to the Guardian, many of the operators in the Indian capital are migrant workers living in poverty-stricken areas, who take up the occupation to support their families – earning up to 100 rupees (£1.23) a day.
The Holland Sentinel recently reported the story of US residents Dale Dykema and Cathy Morgan, who travelled to India to donate personal energy transportation vehicles to disabled children.
Written by Simon Bassett 
