As per the amended law, while each cycle rickshaw would be levied an impounding fee of Rs 100 for the first offence and Rs 200 for the next offence, the fine would be increased to Rs 300 for the third or subsequent offence. Earlier, the fine for each offence was "not less than Rs 200 for each offence", but a fine of Rs 200 was realised each time.

Though the law has been made stringent now, the implementation of the Chandigarh Cycle Rickshaw (Regulation and Control) Byelaws, governing the plying of cycle rickshaws in the city, has turned out to be a virtual non-starter.

Though the byelaws were framed and implemented last year, the same could not be enforced as rickshaw pullers till date do not carry any identity or licence. Though some rickshaws have been challaned in the past, there have been reservations on challaning them. The rickshaws impounded initially by the Estate Office and later by the Municipal Corporation also posed problems for the authorities due to space constraints. Official authorities have also expressed reluctance on challaning the rickshaws as the byelaws governing them have not yet been enforced or implemented properly. As per the byelaws, each rickshaw puller ought to carry a driving licence and an ownership certificate, but of the total over 15,000 rickshaws in the city, only about 2,000 licences and ownership certificates have been issued so far. Others were either not forthcoming or the licences were not issued to them, since their identity could not be verified by the police.

Under the rickshaw byelaws, the rickshaws are to be challaned for wrong parking, wrong plying or for violating traffic regulations, besides for not carrying plying licences or ownership certificates.

The scheme also aimed at maintaining the identity of rickshaw pullers, besides regulating the plying of rickshaws in the city. With the earlier impounding fee of Rs 200 for each offence considered high by the rickshaw pullers, their pradhans lobbied for its reduction. But, despite the Administration now rationalising the fine, the same is unlikely to be implemented in the near future due to lack of complete implementation of the rickshaw byelaws.