CHANDIGARH: The UT administration is considering to exclude e-autos and e-rickshaws from any kind of incentives to discourage them from hitting the roads as it prepares to roll out a draft of the city’s first electric vehicle (EV) policy this month.
Although an incentive varying between Rs 15,000 and Rs 30,000 was suggested for the first 1,000 registered e-autos in the draft, the administration now is weighing to remove it. One of the key reasons is the non-registration of petrol, diesel, CNG and LPG autos for the last couple of years.
“The incentive will be contradictory as the UT has stopped registering autos. Another goal is to reduce their congestion and promote public transport at a larger level,” an official said. The recommendation has been sent to UT adviser Dharam Pal to take a final call before coming out with the draft EV policy. “Since no autos are being registered, there is a need to promote public transport e-vehicles in the city.
Currently, 40 electric buses have already come to the city and running with good success. A process to purchase 40 more such buses has also started. There is a need to reduce the number of e-rickshaws due to their immense congestion on city roads. That is why this proposal has been made, sources said.
Besides autos registered in the city, thousands from Mohali, Panchkula and other adjoining areas enter Chandigarh. Managing them is a major headache for the administration. Although the State Transport Authority and traffic police had claimed of challaning them regularly for violations, the ground reality is different — they openly flout norms.
