Shared cabs, electric taxis part of Delhi govt’s plan to curb pollution

Officials said the government was in discussion with cab aggregators to bring back shared taxi options that were available in Delhi before the Covid-19 pandemic

New Delhi: The Delhi government is preparing to restart shared cab services as part of a broader strategy to reduce vehicular congestion and curb air pollution, chief minister Rekha Gupta said on Friday.

The Delhi CM said it is imperative to reduce number of vehicles on roads. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

Officials said the move, which is expected to be discussed in detail in a meeting with cab aggregators and transport companies, is aimed at enabling fewer vehicles to serve a larger number of commuters without compromising passenger convenience.

Addressing a review of transport and pollution-control measures, Gupta said reducing the number of private vehicles on roads was key to any effective pollution mitigation plan. “Our focus is on maximising passenger movement through shared and clean mobility solutions so that traffic flow improves and emissions come down,” she said.

Officials said the government was in discussion with cab aggregators to bring back shared taxi options that were available in Delhi before the Covid-19 pandemic. The proposed framework will also encourage a greater share of electric vehicles in taxi fleets and seek to increase the participation of women drivers, both to enhance safety and improve service availability.

The CM said the planned meeting with aggregators will focus on operational models for shared rides, incentives for women drivers and the possible integration of private electric vehicles into taxi services. “The idea is to ensure that travel remains affordable and safe while reducing the overall vehicular load on city roads,” she said.

Besides, the government is tightening checks on polluting vehicles by expanding automated fitness testing infrastructure. Officials said the automated fitness centre at Jhuljhuli is already operational and tests about 70,000 vehicles annually, while the Burari facility is being upgraded. Two more centres at Nand Nagri and Tehkhand are expected to become operational by next March, together enabling fitness tests for nearly 300,000 commercial vehicles annually. Five additional centres are planned at DTC depots in Bawana, Ghazipur, Savda Ghevra, GTK Depot and Dichau Kalan.

Gupta reiterated that strengthening public transport remains a priority with buses, electric mobility and the Delhi Metro forming the backbone of the city’s long-term transport policy.