Registration of fuel-based vehicles: MP, Mayor for complete removal of capping

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, November 20

Facing criticism from stakeholders, MP Kirron Kher has, for the first time, come out against the restrictions imposed on the registration of non-electric two-wheelers under the Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy.

Extending support to Mayor Anup Gupta on the issue, the MP stated that there should be no restriction on the registration of fuel-based vehicles and no quota should be fixed for such vehicles.

A meeting was convened by the Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) today to chalk out the modalities for the amendment to the EV Policy. Kher, Gupta and the representatives of the Automobile Dealers’ Association were also present.

During the meeting, Kher told the officials that there should be no capping on the registration of fuel-based vehicles. She said in a democratic country, the authorities couldn’t force people to buy electric vehicles only. This was also causing revenue loss to the UT Administration, she added.

The Mayor said he was not against the EV Policy, but the capping on the registration of non-electric vehicles should be completely removed. “Efforts should be made to promote EVs by providing incentives, but there should be no pressure on the city residents to buy only EVs,” he said.

The automobile dealers said there was no such pressure on residents to buy EVs anywhere in the country.

The CREST officials will now prepare a report on the suggestions received and send it to the Administration for further action.

Home Secretary Nitin Kumar Yadav is scheduled hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss the issue, following which a meeting will be convened on November 23 under the chairmanship of UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit, and a final decision will be taken after that. Environment Director TC Nautiyal was also present at the meeting

After halting the registration of non-electric two-wheelers on October 29 on achieving the revised target, the Administration had on November 8 decided to resume the registration of non-EV two-wheelers till Gurpurb (November 27).

Home Secretary Nitin Yadav had stated that the EV Policy would be comprehensively reviewed and in the meantime, the registration of vehicles running on internal combustion engine (ICE) would continue till November 27.

The Administration had stopped the registration of fuel-based two-wheelers on October 29 upon reaching the additional quota of 1,609 such vehicles fixed for 2023-24 in the revised EV policy.

The city has 10 automobile dealers who collectively sell around 20,000 non-electric two-wheelers annually, nearly 1,600 each month. During the festival season, this number surges to around 4,000 a month.

Earlier, the Administration had revised the EV Policy on October 18, the quota for registration of non-electric two-wheelers was extended by 1,609 units for the financial year.

The Registering and Licencing Authority (RLA) had stopped the registration of two-wheelers running on ICE on achieving the target fixed for 2023-24 in the EV Policy on October 6.

According to the target, only 12,076 two-wheelers running on petrol had to be registered in the city till March 31 next year. However, the target was achieved on October 6 and after that, their registration was stopped.

The UT Administration rolled out the EV Policy on September 20, 2022, to make Chandigarh a “Model EV City” by achieving one of the highest penetrations of zero-emission vehicles within the policy period of five years.

Can’t force people to buy EVs only: MP

During a meeting convened by the Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society, MP Kirron Kher told the officials that there should be no capping on the registration of fuel-based vehicles. She said in a democratic country, the authorities couldn’t force people to buy electric vehicles only. This was also causing revenue loss to the UT Administration, she added.

20K non-electric 2-wheelers sold annually

The city has 10 automobile dealers who collectively sell around 20,000 non-electric two-wheelers annually, nearly 1,600 each month. During the festival season, this number surges to around 4,000 a month.