Kailash Gahlot begins drive to promote electric-bikes

NEW DELHI: City Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Sunday kickstarted the first week of the government’s Switch Delhi campaign to sensitise people to the benefits of electric two-wheelers and encourage them to adopt the environment-friendly vehicles.

The first week will focus on outreach regarding the two-wheeler segment, including electric bikes and e-scooters, to accelerate its adoption, a statement said. A study by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) shows that vehicle pollution is the cause of 28 per cent of PM 2.5 emissions in the national capital, and two-wheelers constitute 7 per cent of this pollution.

Two-thirds of the vehicles in Delhi are two-wheelers and hence, this segment needs to be the one pushing for early adoption for the success of the Switch Delhi campaign.  “Delhi’s EV Policy especially focuses on incentivising the purchase of two-wheelers, which comprise 2/3rd of all vehicles in Delhi and cause maximum pollution.

The government has been working tirelessly to lay the ground for a successful transition to electric vehicles in the national capital. I urge Delhiites to now switch to electric, make this a mass movement, take responsibility for our environment, and make our city the EV Capital of India,” said Gahlot.

Road tax and registration fees will also be waived for all-electric two-wheelers during the period of the policy. “The total cost of ownership of an electric two-wheeler over 10 years is approximately 50 per cent of that of a petrol scooter in Delhi and approximately 54 per cent of that of a petrol bike in Delhi, as per analysis by RMI India. Electric two-wheelers are up to Rs 2.05 cheaper to drive per km as compared to petrol scooters and up to Rs 1.82 cheaper to drive per km as compared to petrol bikes,” Gahlot added.