NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has agreed in principle to allow privately owned EVs to operate as shared taxis. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said relevant rules would be amended and an effective mechanism put in place to address concerns raised by companies. Gupta on Friday said the Delhi government is working on a special strategy covering EV charging infrastructure, use of solar energy and management of battery waste to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and reduce pollution in the capital.
She was speaking at a meeting with automobile manufacturers and aggregator companies such as Ola, Uber and Rapido, convened to encourage wider public adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and promote shared mobility in Delhi.
“Effective and sustainable control of pollution in Delhi is possible only by reducing the number of vehicles on the roads. Transport companies must actively support the government’s mission so that Delhi can move rapidly towards becoming a Viksit Delhi,” the CM said. The meeting at the Delhi Secretariat was attended by Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, senior transport department officials, representatives of automobile manufacturers including Tata Motors, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, Toyota and Honda, and officials from aggregator platforms.
Gupta said the fight against pollution would require both immediate steps and long-term strategies. She added that while the government is willing, in principle, to provide facilitation, flexibility in rules and resolution of industry issues, companies must also offer concessions that make EVs and shared mobility more attractive to the public.
Vehicle manufacturers told the chief minister that large-scale deployment of EVs and a people-centric EV policy were essential for meaningful pollution control.
They sought concessions to strengthen charging infrastructure, saying this would significantly boost EV adoption. Responding to this, Gupta said the government is ready to provide land for setting up charging stations but stressed that companies must also explore solar-powered charging solutions.
She said battery waste management would have to be handled by companies themselves to prevent the creation of new pollution hazards. She asked manufacturers to submit a detailed plan with timelines for demand-based supply of EVs across Delhi and said vehicle pricing should be structured to attract consumers.