By 2030, all app-based cabs in Delhi may be EVs

NEW DELHI: By 2030, every app-based cab that you book in Delhi, every two-wheeler, on which the food that you ordered arrives, or any vehicle that ferries your e-orders will be an electric vehicle. Delhi government's soon-to-be-notified aggregator scheme will also put cap surge pricing, ensure cabs are monitored 24X7 and riders are alerted the moment a driver veers from the assigned route. The scheme will also make training and monitoring of drivers with less than a 3.5-rating over a year mandatory.

On Tuesday, Delhi government put the Draft Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregators Scheme, 2022, in the public domain for 21 days and invited suggestions or objections from the public. The scheme is meant for licensing and regulation of aggregators providing passenger transport services and for regulation of other aggregators providing delivery of goods in the city.

The government had earlier published a draft of the scheme in February and having solicited suggestions, incorporated them in the final draft put in the public domain on Tuesday.

Ashish Kundra, principal secretary-cum-transport commissioner, said, "In the final draft, there are clearly defined boxes of different obligations of EV conversion for passenger-carrying fleets, last-mile delivery fleets and e-commerce companies. With different obligations, we have tried to make the transition to EV gentler."

Instead of similar slabs for all categories in the previous draft, there are more slabs now with proportionally more EVs in a fleet. "However, by 2030, there has to be a fully electric fleet, which could include new EVs or retrofitted old vehicles," Kundra said.

Kundra said that there are new features to benefit consumers, particularly cab riders. One relates to the pet peeve of commuters - surge pricing. "The aggregators shall be allowed to charge a fare with maximum surge pricing not exceedingly twice the base fare as specified by the transport department, GNCTD, from time to time," the draft states. The base price, however, is yet to be fixed by the department.

A slew of compliances on the aggregators' part, it is hoped, will ensure better safety measures. The aggregator will have to ensure that the driver plies the vehicle on the route assigned on the mobile app.