Delhi government on Thursday decided that all vehicles hired by its departments will switch to electric mode within six months. The step was taken to promote the adoption of electric vehicles by setting an example.
Delhi government on Thursday decided that all vehicles hired by its departments will switch to electric mode within six months. The step was taken to promote the adoption of electric vehicles by setting an example.
Every vehicle hired by Delhi government’s departments, autonomies bodies and grantee institutions under it will switch from petrol, diesel or CNG-run vehicles to electric ones. The government has also decided to gradually replace all its end-of-life vehicles with EVs and made these measures mandatory.
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said that it was chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s dream to make the city pollution free. “The decision that all government departments shift to EVs is a historic one,” he said, adding that Delhi will be the first capital in the world where all government departments switch to electric vehicles for road travel.
“It is necessary to focus on the challenges related to a sustainable environment. Delhi government has prioritised the issue of curbing environmental distress along with its other major agenda items,” he said, adding that using Delhi as an example, cities of the world ensure that using EVs is an important agenda in the fight to curb pollution.
Sisodia pinned faith on the idea that the decision of switching to electric vehicles by all departments of Delhi government will be a key step in encouraging more sustainable practices.
“Delhi government’s commitment to switch all its hired cars to electric in six months is unprecedented globally. As the nodal department, transport department will leave no stone unturned to ensure a smooth transition. CM’s call for Switch Delhi marks a start of the EV revolution,” transport minister Kailash Gahlot tweeted.
Transport department will be the nodal department to monitor the progress of the transition from existing diesel or petrol vehicle fleet to EVs. All departments will have to show it monthly action reports on the transition to EVs by the fifth of every month.
“Delhiites have time and again made efforts towards making our environment, our city green and clean. Switching to electric vehicles will be another effort that all of us together, will take to ensure that we continue this fight towards sustainability” Sisodia said.
The government also recently launched ‘Switch Delhi’ — an eight-week mass awareness campaign to sensitise Delhiites about the benefits of switching to EVs for the environment as well as the incentives and infrastructure being developed under the capital’s EV policy.
Credit – ET Auto
