Electronic vehicles and EV infrastructure receive the spotlight in Delhi city’s budget plan for the civic sector.
EV infrastructure gets prominence in Delhi civic budget plan
Delhi’s municipal agency New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has put electric mobility at the top of its top priorities when planning the budget for the coming year. The civic body has announced that it will not continue the purchasing of diesel and petrol vehicles for its employees and will focus on electric vehicles and the EV infrastructure rather than in the coming financial year.
In the list of proposals made in the NDMC for the Budget 2024-23, purchasing electric vehicles, the setting up of over 100 EV charging points, and tie-ups with renewable power providers are just a few of the most prominent.
Dharmendra Chairman of NDMC Dharmendra, chairman of NDMC, stated in his budget address on Friday that “NDMC continues to the lead in environmental mitigation measures and has decided to cease buying petrol – or diesel-powered passenger vehicles and plans to buy electric cars in the near future.
It will also convert its current fleet in a gradual way. NDMC has already rolled out more than 60 charging stations across its region and will increase that number by more than 100 this year’s budget.”
“A fleet of electric scooters is expected to be put in place in the coming year, along with smart bicycles. Its cycle-in city scheme is anticipated to establish special cycle tracks that will allow office workers to commute on bicycles in a secure and enjoyable way. To help reduce dust pollution and to reduce tree pollution, extensive tree washing continues,” he added.
Delhi was among the state governments first in India to adopt an extensive EV policy. It was launched in August 2020. the policy freed EV owners from having to pay road tax and registration charges. Delhi government had previously set a goal for EVs to contribute 25 percent of the total sales of vehicles in Delhi in 2024.
The sales of electric vehicles have experienced an increase in recent years within the city of Delhi NCR region. In the very first instance in history, EVs were the second most-loved choice for mobility based on the general vehicle sales in the capital city. From September to November of last year petrol vehicles registered 82,626 units in Delhi While EVs had 9,540 units which surpassed CNG and diesel vehicles.