KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has directed the government to formulate regulations and guidelines with regard to providing charging points for electric vehicles in the apartment complexes where the owners of e-vehicles reside. Justice V G Arun issued the order on a petition filed by Rugma Ramesh and Ajeesh Kumar of Kochi seeking a directive to the Purva Eternity apartment owners’ association, Thengod, Kochi not to restrict them from drawing electrical lines from their individual meter board situated on the upper ground floor through the common area to their designated car parking and from installing EV charging units in the parking area.
Ninan John, counsel for the petitioners, argued that in view of the electric vehicle policy declared by the government and the phenomenal increase in the number of EVs in the state, adequate provisions ought to be made to provide charging points for such vehicles in the apartment complexes where the owners of these vehicles live. Though the petitioners are willing to make provision for installing a charging point on their own, that is being objected to by the apartment owners’ association.
The court said necessary steps in this regard shall be taken at the earliest and a report regarding the progress achieved should be filed by the next posting date.The petitioners pointed out that based on the scheme of the Central government for promoting, manufacturing, using and adopting e-vehicles in the country, the state government formulated a policy to build a robust infrastructure for e-vehicles that include adequate power availability, network of charging points and favourable power tariffs.
The policy stated that “all new and renovated residential complexes and colonies with more than 10 equivalent car spaces (ECS), parking space will need to be made 100% demarcated ECS parking for EVs ready with conduits installed”.