New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday said that rules on mandatory insurance cover, wearing of headgear on two-wheelers and penal action for non-compliance are already applicable to electric vehicles.

Dismissing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Rajat Kapoor, the court said the petitioner filed the case without due diligence and without substantiating claims, allegations, and issues.

The court added that such frivolous PILs waste the judiciary’s time and hinder the speedy redressal of genuine cases.

The bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad, however, directed the Delhi government to continue ensuring that the subsidy offered by the government for electric vehicles registered in the national capital is being disbursed in a timely manner.

In his petition, advocate Rajat Kapoor had argued that according to Section 146 of the MV Act, it is mandatory for individuals to acquire an insurance policy to cover third-party risks arising from the use of a motor vehicle. Kapoor pointed out that this provision does not extend to Electric Vehicles (EVs).

He further noted that while the Delhi Electric Vehicles Policy of 2020 addresses various aspects related to EVs, it does not specifically address the requirement for obtaining an insurance policy for individuals intending to use them.