Chandigarh draft policy pushes for electric vehicles, lists subsidy, free parking

Speaking to Chandigarh Newsline, UT Adviser Manoj Parida said, “For all the residential houses that make a provision for charging stations, it has already been discussed by the JERC to offer power at Rs 4 per unit. And on the final bill that will be generated for that house, it is proposed to offer up to 30 per cent subsidy on the power bill.”

The Adviser said, “Also, it has been decided that anyone who owns an electric vehicle will not be required to pay any parking fee in any of the parking lots. The owner shall also be given preference while parking in any government-owned institution or school or other complexes.”

It has been decided that all such institutions, government-owned places and parking slots will have reserved parking spaces only for electric vehicle owners. There will be 30 per cent dedicated space of parking for these electric vehicle owners.

The City Beautiful, in a target set to promote electric vehicles, aims to register only electric vehicles after 2030. To encourage people to buy the electric vehicles, it has also been proposed to give free insurance to the first 1,000 electric vehicle buyers in Chandigarh.

Already, the Chandigarh Administration has decided that all the government vehicles being used by their departments and officials will be electric vehicles. It has been discussed that the same will be done by 2025. Around 1,000 public EV chargers are proposed to be set up by 2030.

According to the draft policy that has been prepared, it has been decided that electric vehicle charging station will be made mandatory in all big commercial buildings or complexes. To encourage residential houses to have EV charging, the power bill subsidy has been introduced.

Dedicated earmarked lanes for charging will also be set up in each sector of the city.

The Department of Transport, Chandigarh, will be the nodal department for the implementation of EV policy in the Union Territory. An EV steering committee will be formed to implement the policy. The Adviser will be heading this committee.

On purchasing any electric vehicle, a buyer will get a 100 per cent exemption in road tax and registration charges till 2024. For the first 3,000 buyers of electric two- and three-wheelers, the owners will get a direct subsidy of Rs 20,000 on each of the vehicles.