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Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta holds meeting with automobile manufacturers and aggregator companies Hailstone And Uber suggested that they operate shuttle services on the Ring Road, an official statement said.
It said the aggregator companies agreed to operate shared taxis and said that within a month they would start services for shared taxis and taxis driven by women drivers.
He also said that they are open to running private EVs and BS-VI vehicles as taxis, but this would require changes in the existing rules.
Gupta assured them that such changes would be made in the coming days, and also stressed that passenger safety measures should be strictly ensured by the companies. The companies agreed to this.
He also asked them to explore the possibility of integrating e-rickshaws into their platforms and suggested that the companies consider operating shuttle services from the Ring Road and the airport.
He assured full government support for these initiatives and suggested that companies can initially implement pilot projects to assess their feasibility and usefulness.
The objective of the meeting was to promote greater public adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and shared mobility in the capital.
The official statement said the government has agreed in principle to allow privately owned EVs to operate as shared taxis.
Gupta said that to realize this objective, the government will amend the relevant rules and develop an effective mechanism to address the concerns of the companies.
He stressed that effective and sustainable control of pollution in Delhi is possible only by reducing the number of vehicles on the roads.
He said that only if transport-related companies actively support the government’s mission, the capital can rapidly transform into a ‘developed Delhi’.
It also included representatives of automobile manufacturers Tata Motors, Mahindra, Maruti SuzukiRepresentatives of Toyota, Honda and aggregator companies Ola, Uber and Rapido also attended the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, Gupta said the government is in principle willing to facilitate companies, resolve their issues and bring flexibility in rules, so as to encourage people to buy EVs and use aggregator services for commuting.
However, he said that these companies will also have to take such decisions and give concessions that will increase people’s inclination towards their services.
During the meeting, automakers told him that complete control on pollution would require full-scale deployment of electric vehicles and introduction of a people-centric EV policy.
He expressed expectation of some concessions to strengthen infrastructure in the capital, including setting up charging stations, saying these measures would accelerate EV adoption.
The Chief Minister said that the government is ready to provide land for setting up charging stations, but companies should also explore the possibility of charging vehicles through solar energy. He stressed that companies will have to manage battery waste themselves, so that no other source of pollution is generated.
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He reiterated that while the government is ready to provide concessions in principle, companies should also provide benefits to vehicle buyers to increase public interest in EVs.
Gupta asked the companies to outline the timeline within which they would be able to meet demand-based supply of electric vehicles across Delhi. He also said that vehicle pricing should be structured in a way that attracts consumers.
He said the transport sector has been a major contributor to pollution in Delhi and hence the government is promoting electric vehicles, shared mobility, e-rickshaws, shuttle services and women-friendly taxi models.
He emphasized that providing affordable, safe and environment-friendly transportation facilities to the public will remain the top priority.