Chandigarh all set to go green with new electric vehicle policy

The Chandigarh administration is all set to introduce a wide range of incentives, changes in building bylaws, and infrastructure upgrade to promote electric vehicles in the city under its new policy.

The electric vehicle policy, after approval from the UT administrator, will be implemented for five years and thereafter revised as per changed conditions.

Under the proposed plan, the registration fee, road tax and 50% parking charges for all electric vehicles will be waived in order to incentivise their purchase.

The policy also envisages making registration of private and commercial e-vehicles easier and quicker by offering immediate online registration. The registration will be allowed for two-, three-, and four-wheelers retrofitted with electric motor.

“The aim of the policy is to reduce pollution in the city by bringing down emissions from the transport sector,” said a UT official.

Move towards green public transport

For promoting electric cabs and autorickshaws, all the existing app-based aggregators will be offered “app-based e-cab/e-auto user incentive scheme”. Under the scheme, the administration will give cashback rebates to make their fares at least 20% cheaper than the ordinary cabs/autos.

Moreover, transport regulations will be eased out for the commercial e-vehicles. Electric autos will be given permits on priority. Companies and corporates will also be allowed to own and operate electric three-wheelers.

There will be no limit on e-autorickshaw permits, though they will be allowed to ply on a limited number of routes in the city to avoid congestion.

The UT transport department has set a target to replace 25% of its fleet with electric buses by 2025. Chandigarh Transport Undertaking will be starting electric bus service on interstate routes as well.

Additional taxes on fuel-run vehicles

Besides pushing for eco-friendly transport in the city, the administration would impose additional taxes on diesel/petrol-run vehicles.

The policy proposes levying a pollution cess on all petrol and diesel vehicles on the sale of fuel. A higher cess will be levied on diesel.

An air quality parking surcharge will be imposed on base parking fees as per the Chandigarh parking policy.

Additional road tax will be levied on diesel and petrol vehicles, especially luxury cars. The high-priced diesel vehicles will pay the highest additional road tax, while two-wheelers will pay the lowest.

A congestion fee up to 2.5% on fare will be levied on all the trips originating or terminating within Chandigarh and taken through cab aggregators running on diesel and petrol cars.

The collection from all these proposed taxes will be allocated to an electric vehicle fund.

Charging infrastructure

● All new and renovated non-residential buildings to reserve 20% electric-vehicle ready charging points

● RWA-managed residential buildings, group housing societies and colonies with over 100 equivalent car space to make 100% demarcated parking with charging points

● UT to give 100% grant on charging point installation

● Electricity tariff rebate for charging stations

● Provision of public charging points every 3km