Uber says Delhi's move to allow only e-bike taxis may affect over 1 lakh riders
Delhi government's latest move marks the country's ambitious transition to electric vehicles and clean energy mobility.
Uber on Friday shared its reservations over the Delhi government’s decision to regulate bike taxis by allowing only electric vehicles. In a blog post, the company said the step could risk "finishing off the sector", affect the livelihood of over 100,000 drivers in the city and the mobility needs of at least a million commuters.
The San Francisco-based company wrote in the post, “steep and infeasible EV mandates risk finishing off the sector. The impact of such a decision on the livelihoods and mobility needs of millions of Delhiites is clear".
Delhi is finalising a proposal to allow only electric two-wheelers to ply as bike taxis, news agency PTI reported. The aggregator policy for two-, three- and four-wheelers will be implemented soon, transport minister Kailash Gahlot said on Monday.
The Delhi government’s transport department banned bike taxis with private registration marks on Monday, citing a violation of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, and imposed a fine of ₹5,000 and above for commercial use of private vehicles. However, the ban doesn’t apply to delivery services such as Swiggy or Zomato.
The move marks the country's ambitious transition to electric vehicles and clean energy mobility.
The ride-hailing app Uber also said it is important to create a “level-playing field” across industries and urged the local government to initiate dialogue to arrive at a joint path.
“As Delhi government contemplates a regulatory framework that will likely allow only EV to function as bike-taxis, the time is right for a deeper industry dialogue,” the blog post read.
The company has set a 2040 target for 100% of its rides to be in zero-emission vehicles, public transport, or with micro-mobility, including in India. Earlier this month, Uber announced plans to introduce 25,000 EVs over three years in India.
(With inputs from Reuters)