The state-backed Ethiopia Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on Thursday called on the Addis Ababa City Administration to lift the ban on auto-rickshaws.
In a press statement sent to Mereja.com, the EHRC said the city wide auto-rickshaws ban which was imposed on March 9 and is still in effect puts restrictions on various forms of human rights including the constitutional right to choose one’s livelihood.
The EHRC statement also said the ban has put in difficulty the livelihoods of not only auto-rickshaw drivers and their families, but also of many customers.
“The ban should be lifted taking into account the situation of low-income people who ply this trade, the physically disabled, the elderly, women and children. A sustainable solution to the problem should also be sought,” the EHRC Chief Commissioner, Daniel Bekele is quoted as saying according to the EHRC statement.
The EHRC statement further called for such types of restrictions to follow the principles of legality, legitimacy, necessity and proportionality.
Earlier this month, the Addis Ababa Transport Bureau of the Addis Ababa City Administration announced it has banned the complete use of auto-rickshaw vehicles commonly called Bajajs in the city indefinitely.
The Bureau justified the move by saying its endeavoring to oversee and regulate the transport services they provide.
