Light electric vehicles can ply during 'No Entry' hours in city: Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot
NEW DELHI: Electric Light Goods Vehicle can now enter major roads during 'No Entry' hours in the national capital, transport minister Kailash Gahlot said on Thursday. The L5N category three-wheeler goods carrier and N1 category goods carrier having gross vehicle weight not exceeding 3.5 tonnes can ply any time of the day.
"We are committed to implementing each and every promise made under the Electric Vehicle policy in the best way possible, and implementing this provision is proof of the same," said Gahlot.
Currently in the national capital, movement of commercial vehicles is restricted over 250 major roads during rush hours from 7 to 11 in the morning and from 5 to 9 in the evening in order to avoid traffic congestion and to check vehicular pollution.
He added that several rounds of deliberations were held with the traffic police to effectively implement the e-vehicle policy. "Since the launch of EV Policy, the sale of e-LCVs has gone up from just 46 to 1054 - a 95.6 per cent rise in registration. We are hopeful that the latest decision will give a huge push to mass adoption of EVs across categories in Delhi," he said.
The Aam Aadmi Party government’s target is to register 25 per cent new electric vehicles by 2024. Since the inception of the Delhi EV Policy, the sale of electric light commercial vehicles has picked up significantly, said the transport minister.
Civil defence volunteers and enforcement teams of the Transport Department have been deployed on all petrol pumps in Delhi for Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) checking, Gahlot informed. On an average, 300 challans are being issued to defaulters on a daily basis.
The transport department has also sent official communications to the neighbouring states informing them that any diesel vehicles older than 10 years will not be allowed to enter into Delhi and will be strictly impounded and scrapped if found plying on Delhi’s roads. "All stage carriage buses are also mandatorily required to carry a valid PUC certificate failing which they will be fined," informed transport minister Gahlot.