Surat civic body to launch Green Vehicle Policy 2025 on PM’s birthday

Building upon the success of the Surat EV Policy 2021, the new policy goes beyond electric vehicles and promotes the use of alternative fuels, green manufacturing, resilient infrastructure, and recycling ecosystems, said the sources in SMC.

“This initiative seeks not only to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions but also to create green jobs, attract investments, and strengthen Surat’s position as a pioneer of urban sustainability,” said Surat Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal, adding that “SMC is the first in the country to come up with a GV policy”.

Agarwal said, “It (the policy) aligns seamlessly with India’s Net-Zero 2070 commitments and Gujarat’s clean energy goals, ensuring that Surat stands at the forefront of India’s green transformation. The Surat GV Policy 2025 is more than just a mobility plan; it is a vision for healthier communities, inclusive growth, and climate-smart governance”.

“It sets a benchmark for other cities in India and reaffirms Surat’s leadership in shaping a resilient, eco-friendly, and prosperous urban future,” she added.

The GV policy 2025 is India’s first comprehensive green mobility policy vision, focusing on safe, accessible, and reliable transportation, said sources in SMC. Between 2019 and 2021, approximately 58,527 electric vehicles were purchased in Surat city, said the sources. SMC has installed 50 EV chargers across the city, and over 450 SMC buses plying in the city are electric buses.

According to the GV 2025 policy, a Green Vehicle Cell will be established to oversee the core and technical committee for policy implementation, said the sources.

The event to launch the policy will be held at the Surat Municipal Corporation indoor stadium. During the event, the SMC sanitation workers will also be felicitated as their work has led Surat city to be among the top cleanest cities across the country under the Swachh Bharat Survekshan, in the category of Super Swachh League 2024, said the sources. Union minister CR Paatil is also expected to attend the event.

From the homepage

‘Voice of people is being suppressed’: AAP’s Sanjay Singh, others ‘detained’ in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda

Key central committee man among 10 Naxals gunned down in Chhattisgarh

Rifle recovered, suspect ‘fired from rooftop’: Trump ally Charlie Kirk shot dead | Top updates