[ad_1]
After facing backlash from various sections of residents, the Chandigarh administration on Monday revised its annual target of registration of non-electric two-wheelers to 25 per cent from 70 per cent. The relaxation means that 75 per cent of two-wheelers registered in this financial year can be non-electric ones, instead of 30 per cent.
After opposition by citizens and dealers, a meeting chaired by UT Adviser Dharampal, was convened by the Union Territory (UT) administration to hold a mid-term review of the electric vehicle (EV) policy. In the meeting, the annual targets for registration of non-EVs and EVs, three-wheelers, e-buses, and e-four-wheeler goods vehicles were revised.
The target for electric three-wheeler good vehicles has been reduced from 40 per cent to 35 per cent, while the target for e-buses has been revised from 40 per cent to 25 per cent. For e-four-wheeler goods vehicles, the target has been reduced from 40 per cent to 15 per cent. The capping of ex-showroom prices for e-4-wheeler vehicles will be removed, but the capping of incentives (Rs 1.5 lakh) will remain unchanged according to the policy.
More incentives now
Additionally, the subsidy on e-bicycles will be increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000. Since, the existing targets for commercial e-cars have been achieved, no changes have been made to them, the UT administration said. However, the revised target for personal e-cars has been increased from 20 per cent to 25 per cent for 2024. Furthermore, 53 charging stations with 418 charging points will be installed at multiple locations.
Mayor Anup Gupta told The Indian Express that officers had no answer when he asked them how Chandigarh would attain carbon neutrality when it could not stop non-electric vehicles from entering the Union Territory from neighbouring states.
He expressed concerns about people registering their vehicles in neighboring areas like Panchkula and Mohali, leading to significant revenue loss for Chandigarh and a shift of business to other states. “We have no other option but to take up the issue with the central government,” he added. As the mayor had announced that he would sit at the border and would not allow any non-electric vehicle to come in, the Chandigarh administration held a mid-term review of the policy as the two-wheeler registrations were to end next week.
By July 6, the registrations of fuel-based two-wheelers were supposed to be banned in Chandigarh as the administration said the registration target of 30 per cent for non-electric two-wheelers had been achieved. Only 6,202 fuel-based two-wheelers could be registered and the target was about to be met by July 6, which now appears deferred.
Similarly, registration of non-electric four-wheelers was to cease once the target of 22,626 is achieved, expected by December of this financial year. That target has been increased by 5 per cent more now. The administration, in an effort to declare itself a model EV city with highest such vehicles density, rolled out its policy in September 2022, setting a target for every year to phase out fuel-based vehicles. By next year, the registration of fuel-based two-wheelers will be entirely banned. The registration of fuel-based four-wheelers will also be reduced considerably.
Minimum achievable targets were set for each year for the registration of electric vehicles. For this year, it said that it would stop the registration of fuel-based two-wheelers by July 6 or 7 and four-wheelers by December.
[ad_2]
