Delhi govt to revise EV transition policy

The Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator and Delivery Service Provider Scheme is under active scrutiny by the transport department, said officials

The Delhi government is set to review and possibly revise the cab aggregator and delivery service policy introduced by the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration, with officials indicating that changes may include relaxed electric vehicle (EV) transition timelines and a cap on surge pricing.

A view of a public electric vehicle (EV) charging plaza in New Delhi (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

According to officials familiar with the matter, the Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator and Delivery Service Provider Scheme—first notified in November 2023—is under active scrutiny by the transport department. The aim, they said, is to fine-tune the policy to better reflect the concerns of aggregators, gig workers, and end users.

“We have received inputs from various sections and we are relooking at some of the provisions and targets in the policy. Our aim will be to ensure that it is a comprehensive policy for all sections of people affected by it, especially the commuters and customers who use these services and those employed,” said transport minister Pankaj Singh told HT on Tuesday.

Chief minister Rekha Gupta also confirmed the revision, noting during her 100-day report last week that the aggregator policy was one of several regulatory frameworks her government had taken up for re-evaluation.

The AAP government’s policy had, for the first time, legalised bike taxis in Delhi—but with a caveat: only electric vehicles (EVs) were permitted, with no transition time offered. In contrast, other vehicle categories—such as commercial two-wheelers and goods carriers—were given four to five years to convert their fleets to electric.

This immediate mandate for electric bike taxis drew criticism from aggregators, who argued it made operations unviable.

Officials now say the new government may consider offering a phased timeline for e-bike taxi adoption, similar to other segments.

Additionally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJp) government is weighing the introduction of guidelines for fare regulation, particularly on surge pricing. The current policy does not specify any limits, leading to complaints about unpredictable and inflated fares during peak hours.

So far, officials said 64 entities have registered on the government’s aggregator portal, including 17 ride-hailing platforms, 42 delivery service providers, and five e-commerce companies. These firms have collectively listed over 550,000 vehicles: 325,762 two-wheelers, 121,339 three-wheelers, and 111,234 four-wheelers.

The existing scheme requires all service providers to switch to electric fleets by 2030 and mandates a five-year licence term. It also enforces safety features such as panic buttons and 112 (Delhi Police) integration for emergency response. Non-compliance attracts steep penalties ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹100,000.

The scheme applies to any individual or company that operates a motor vehicle fleet digitally—whether for ferrying passengers or delivering goods, parcels, or food—connecting drivers to platforms, vendors, or consumers through apps or other means.

The BJP government has already started work on replacing the Mohalla clinics with Aarogya Mandirs and Mohalla buses are now rebranded as DEVI buses. The government has also scrapped the streetscaping project started by the previous government to develop European style streets in Delhi owing to its high cost.