E-autos have been allotted through a computerised draw. Blue and lilac electric autos began plying on the city’s roads Thursday, after they were flagged off by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. E-auto drivers who had completed the registration of their vehicles attended the flag-off.
Speaking at the event, Kejriwal said: “With the launch of e-auto, 3,500 drivers’ families will now have a livelihood, which includes 500 women — a matter of great pride for Delhi.”
He added: “Keeping the situation of pollution in Delhi in mind, we are gradually initiating a paradigm shift in vehicles from fuel-based to electric ones. In this direction, these electric autos have been introduced, which will now regularly operate throughout Delhi. As a symbolic gesture, some of the men and women driving these e-autos were handed their official documents.”
The e-autos have been allotted through a computerised draw. “Around 35 e-autos have been registered and around 20-25 are in process of issuance of registration,” said transport commissioner Ashish Kundra.
“When we invited applications, we said one-third will be for women. But not enough women were there, and whoever applied got it. We have also given a number of these to the DMRC for their last-mile connectivity, which they have said they will give to women auto drivers. That is still being processed by DMRC,” he added.
A total of 663 e-autos have been allotted to the DMRC to be handed over to women drivers, with permission to operate them through an aggregator.
Online applications were invited to allot 4,261 e-autos in October and November last year. Of these, 1,406 e-autos (33% of the total) were meant to be for women. But only 743 applications were received from women. A fresh round of applications was invited from women in February this year, and 93 women have applied. The lilac e-autos are for women.
The e-auto permit cannot be transferred for five years, except in case of death, and is to be driven only by the LOI holder. E-autos allotted under the quota for women can be transferred only to another woman driver.
The e-autos have been allotted through a computerised draw. After LOIs are issued, the prospective buyers would have to mobilise their finances and purchase the vehicle, after which it will be registered.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, who attended the flag off, said a subsidy of Rs 30,000 per e-auto and a 5% rebate on loans has been ensured. “We are in talks with the DMRC and we will ensure that charging facilities are made available at every Metro station soon,” he said, according to a communication from the Delhi government.
A single-window online system is available for people with LOIs to purchase e-autos from authorised dealers, secure loans, and complete the registration of the vehicle. The LOI holder can also co-own the e-auto with a fleet operator or aggregator, based on an agreement.
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