WRI Conference: Delhi lags behind in implementation of green transport
At a time when cities like Bengaluru and Pune are embracing electric vehicles (EVs), Delhi is still lagging behind, experts say.
At a time when cities like Bengaluru and Pune are embracing electric vehicles (EVs), Delhi is still lagging behind, experts say.
It was in March 2016 that the Delhi government inducted the city’s first electric bus on a pilot basis, and had announced of bringing in more “soon”. But a year later, the government seems to have made little progress.
At the same time, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (BMTC) board is already in the process of procuring 150 electric buses in that city. It was Bengaluru that trial-launched India’s first electric bus in February 2014.
“We had one meeting with the Delhi government, but nothing after that. When other cities are coming forward and are enthusiastic about electric vehicles, companies would obviously reach out to those states or cities,” said Ankit Singhvi, who is part of the Central government’s National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 that aims to promote electric mobility and manufacturing of electric (& hybrid) vehicles and their components.
While India aims to be a 100 per cent EV nation by 2030, all people can see in this segment in the national capital right now are e-rickshaws. For over one lakh e-rickshaws operating in the city, the capital has no legal charging point for the battery-operated three wheelers, although they are helping in feeding last mile connectivity.
With a rampant increase in their number, a situation has arrived where dozens of e-rickshaws are being charged with a single domestic connection resulting in overloading of the sanctioned electricity capacity of the meter.
