A day after UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit flagged off 52 new motorbikes for the police, it has come to light that the said vehicles were registered after the portal was closed for the public on October 6 at 12.30 pm.
According to the records of the Registration and Licensing Authority (RLA), UT, out of 52 vehicles, 40 were registered on October 7 before midnight, while the remaining 12 vehicles were registered on October 8.
One of the owners of a two-wheeler dealership said, “It is completely unfair on the part of the UT administration that they closed the registration portal for the public on October 6 at 12.30 pm, but police vehicles were registered after the ban,” the dealer said.
Transport director Pradhuman Singh said that the 52 vehicles that were flagged off were included in the capping. “I am not sure of the date when they were registered,” he said.
On October 9, Purohit flagged off 52 petrol bikes, drawing criticism from city-based automobile dealers. The bikes, which are an addition to the UT Police’s fleet, have been acquired from Hero Motor Private Limited as part of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.
Gulshan Kumar, working in a multinational company, who booked a two-wheeler in Chandigarh, said, “I booked my two-wheeler many days ago, and I received the information on October 6 in the afternoon that the RLA had blocked the portal for new registrations until March 31 next year. I requested some officers, but my request went in vain. When I reached the RLA on October 7, I found that they were talking about the registration of two-wheelers given to the Chandigarh Police,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Gulshan Kumar, working in a multinational company, who booked a two-wheeler in Chandigarh, said, “I booked my two-wheeler many days ago, and I received the information on October 6 in the afternoon that the RLA had blocked the portal for new registrations until March 31 next year. I requested some officers, but my request went in vain. When I reached the RLA on October 7, I found that they were talking about the registration of two-wheelers given to the Chandigarh Police,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}According to the EV policy, all government departments/local bodies will only purchase electric vehicles effective from August 2023. In case of an exemption, the department concerned shall obtain prior approval from the competent authority.
On October 7, the UT halted the registration of non-electric two-wheelers after reaching the annual target of such vehicles permitted in 2023 under the Electric Vehicle Policy. Now, only electric two-wheelers will be registered in the city until April 2024. This decision had sparked resentment among city-based automobile dealers who were anticipating substantial business during the upcoming festive season. Approximately 20,000 non-electric two-wheelers are sold each year in Chandigarh, with around 1,600 sold each month, and 4,000 vehicles being bought during the festive season alone.
The UT had introduced its EV Policy in September 2022, which is applicable for five years. During this period, the administration plans to gradually cease registering fuel-run vehicles to discourage people from buying vehicles that contribute to pollution. Similarly, in the case of ICE four-wheelers, new registrations will cease once the number reaches 15,465, a milestone that RLA expects to reach by November. So far this year, 13,776 such four-wheelers have already been registered in the city, leaving room for only 1,689 more.