Delhi govt to limit official vehicles, push carpooling and public transport after PM Modi’s appeal to conserve energy

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta announced curbs on official vehicle use and urged ministers, MLAs and officials to prioritise carpooling and public transport.

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for fuel conservation amid global energy uncertainty, the Delhi government has decided to limit the number of vehicles used for official purposes and encourage carpooling and the use of public transport across departments, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Tuesday.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta addressed fuel conservation and energy-saving measures, announcing restrictions on official vehicle use and promoting carpooling and public transport in line with PM Narendra Modi’s appeal. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

In a post on X, Gupta said the decision was taken in the spirit of the Prime Minister’s call to turn energy conservation into a “people’s movement” in view of the current global situation. “Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has made an appeal to the citizens of the country to save petrol-diesel and to turn energy conservation into a people's movement,” Gupta said in the post.

The Chief Minister said the Delhi government had decided to reduce the number of vehicles used for departmental operations and official work. According to Gupta, she herself, all cabinet ministers, BJP MLAs, public representatives, officers and departments of the Delhi government would use only the minimum number of vehicles required and prioritise carpooling and public transport.

“Taking the spirit of this important appeal by the Honorable Prime Minister ji to heart, a decision has been taken to limit the number of vehicles for departmental operations,” Gupta said on X. She added that energy conservation was directly linked to national interest and that the Delhi government was committed to promoting fuel conservation and public transport.

A press note issued by the Delhi government also stated that all cabinet ministers, MLAs, public representatives and government officials had been asked to minimise vehicle usage according to necessity and give preference to carpooling and public transport systems.

The move comes amid concerns over rising global fuel prices and energy supply uncertainty linked to the ongoing geopolitical situation. Prime Minister Modi had earlier urged citizens to adopt austerity measures, including reducing petroleum consumption, limiting unnecessary expenditure and promoting fuel conservation.

In this light, CM Gupta also brought herself under the restrictions and appealed to Delhi residents to increasingly use buses, Metro services and shared transport instead of relying on private vehicles. “We appeal to the people of Delhi to make greater use of the Metro, buses and public transport wherever possible, adopt carpooling and reduce unnecessary dependence on private vehicles,” the CM said in a separate post on X.

She further said citizens should act responsibly during the present period of global uncertainty and contribute towards national efforts on energy conservation.

The Delhi government’s move comes amid a wider push by BJP-led states following PM Modi’s appeal for energy conservation and reduced fuel consumption. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also urged citizens to conserve energy, prioritise local products and use public transport, saying such measures would strengthen the economy and support the vision of an “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. Dhami additionally appealed to people to reduce unnecessary foreign travel, conserve electricity and adopt responsible consumption practices.