All depts will make EV switch by Sept: Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia
With this, the Delhi government will create a hired fleet of at least 2,000 electric cars within six months, which will be used by its departments and agencies.
In what deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia termed a “historic move”, the Delhi government on Thursday mandated all its departments, companies and subsidiary agencies to shift from fuel-based hired cars to electric vehicles (EVs) within a time frame of six months.
With this, the Delhi government will create a hired fleet of at least 2,000 electric cars within six months, which will be used by its departments and agencies.
The order, signed by special secretary (finance) Prince Dhawan, directed all government departments, autonomous bodies and grantee institutions to make a shift from their existing hired petrol/diesel/CNG vehicles to EVs through a lease/hiring model within a time frame of six months. Dry lease/wet lease model has been encouraged by the government for the same, the order stated.
Sisodia said the move will make Delhi the “EV Capital” of India. “The Delhi government today (Thursday) became the first in the world, and not just India, to mandate its entire hired car fleet to switch to electric within a deadline of six months. We hope that this decision will inspire cities and governments around India and the world to tackle pollution and climate change with the seriousness and urgency that it deserves,” he said.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said the move will go a long way in curbing pollution in Delhi. “Delhi is fast becoming a modern city. Every Indian is proud of Delhi,” he tweeted.
The Delhi EV Policy, 2020, which was rolled out on August 7 last year, mandates that the city administration shifts its entire fleet of cars to EVs.
Thursday’s order stated that the state transport department will be the nodal agency to monitor the progress of the transition. “It will also be necessary for all departments to produce monthly action reports on the transition by the fifth of every month to the nodal department,” the order said.
On February 4, Kejriwal through a digital press conference, had launched a new eight-week long campaign called “Switch Delhi”, to spread awareness about the subsidies provided by the city administration on buying EVs and also set a deadline of six months for the government to shift its hired fleet of cars to EVs.
The Switch Delhi campaign aims at informing, encouraging, and motivating the people of Delhi to switch from polluting vehicles to zero-emission EVs. While the first two weeks of the campaign focused on promoting two and three- wheeler owners to switch to EVs, the third week targeted four-wheeler vehicle owners to adopt EVs.