Cab-sharing to restart as Delhi pushes carpooling

Other measures suggested include incentivising green ride options and introducing in-app features that display emission savings, allowing users to visualise the environmental benefits of choosing shared or electric rides

Ride-sharing might be back on the Capital’s roads by the end of January after the Delhi government said on Wednesday that it directed cab aggregators to revive a practice abandoned during the pandemic five years ago over Covid transmission concerns.

Introduced in India in 2015, ride-sharing was a popular option for commuters using cab aggregators but the pandemic-induced lockdown and fears of virus transmission put paid to the practice. (HT File)

Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the government held a high-level meeting with aggregator services – which included Ola, Uber and Rapido – on Tuesday and asked the firms to ensure full deployment of ride-sharing functionality on their platforms within one month.

Aggregators were also asked to look at car-pooling functionalities, the minister added.

“All ride-hailing aggregators have been asked to restart ride-sharing services in Delhi at the earliest, as it directly reduces the number of vehicles on the road and lowers emissions,” said Sirsa, adding that aggregators pointed out that certain technical and operational preparations were required for this move.

“Accordingly, they were instructed to ensure full deployment of ride-sharing functionality on their platforms within one month for Delhi and into NCR,” he said, clarifying while the ride will be hailed in Delhi but they can then take these cabs into NCR too.

Other measures suggested include incentivising green ride options and introducing in-app features that display emission savings, allowing users to visualise the environmental benefits of choosing shared or electric rides.

The meeting, which included senior officials from the transport department, also focused on carpooling.

“Aggregators were directed to begin immediate development of in-app carpooling modules or even separate carpooling platforms..” Sirsa said, stating that the transport department was asked to examine the legal framework for carpooling and submit recommendations within a week’s time.

Introduced in India in 2015, ride-sharing was a popular option for commuters using cab aggregators but the pandemic-induced lockdown and fears of virus transmission put paid to the practice.

The option – under which a commuter can choose to book a cab that already has up to three passengers – makes rides economical.

No immediate responses were available from Ola, Uber and Rapido. A government official said the data on the overall fleet size was still being assessed. “Following the meeting, we will get proper data from all these aggregators.”

But it remains to be seen if the move can help dispel the swirling clouds of smog that blanket the Capital every winter.

Vehicular emissions remain a major and consistent contributor to Delhi’s pollution, unlike seasonal sources such as stubble burning. Emission inventory studies over the past decade highlight the scale of the challenge. A 2015 IIT-Kanpur study estimated that the transport sector contributed around 20% of year-old PM2.5 pollution in the Capital, while later studies by TERI-ARAI and SAFAR in 2018 placed the contribution much higher, at 39% and 41%, respectively.

In the meeting, Sirsa also emphasised that privately registered Electric Vehicles (EVs) needed to be onboarded under aggregator fleets without the requirement of commercial registration fees, permits, or other licensing conditions.

“The transport department in the meeting was also tasked to examine the legal, regulatory and safety aspects of such onboarding and propose an appropriate framework to facilitate participation of private four-wheelers and two-wheeler EV owners, while ensuring compliance with traffic, insurance, and passenger safety norms,” an official said.

Sirsa said this means if private EV owners want to use their vehicle for a brief period for commercial operations, they should be allowed to tie-up with a cab aggregator easily, without a lengthy list of licenses and permits. “The department will look at how this process can be simplified, to incentivise EV owners and eventually EV uptake,” he added.

The minister further urged aggregators to expand their bus fleets, particularly on office and high-demand routes, to reduce dependence on private vehicles.

“For effective pollution control, we must ensure that more people shift from private vehicles to public transport and shared mobility. Expanding shuttle and bus aggregation services will be key to improving last-mile connectivity,” he said.

“Aggregators were further advised to furnish route-wise operational data for identification of congestion-prone corridors and formulation of targeted remedial measures,” an official, who was part of the meeting, said.

Experts said policies to promote carpooling can help reduce congestion and vehicular emissions. “However, this should not come at the cost of public transport development. If carpooling ends up drawing users away from buses and metro systems, the overall environmental gains could be undermined,” said Amit Bhatt, managing director (India), International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).

“Several countries, including the US, allow private vehicles on aggregator platforms, and the Delhi Government’s decision to limit this to EVs is a welcome step. Since aggregator vehicles travel far more than personal vehicles, the emissions benefits can be significant. However, this must be done with care, with clear rules on safety, insurance, liability, and platform accountability to protect passengers and regulatory integrity,” he added.