Why citizens, dealers and mayor oppose UT move on buying EVs

As Chandigarh becomes the first city in the country to ban the fuel-based registrations, here’s a look at what led to the order, the protest by citizens and traders and what next.
What is the order Chandigarh Administration has passed ?

By July 6, the registrations of fuel-based two-wheelers would be banned in Chandigarh while that of four-wheelers would be banned by December for this fiscal year.

The UT, in a bid to declare itself a model EV city and a city with highest vehicle density, rolled out the Electric Vehicle Policy in September 2022, that sets target for every year which gradually phases out the fuel-based vehicles — both two- wheelers and four-wheelers. By next year, the registrations of the fuel-based two-wheelers would be entirely banned and the four-wheelers will be reduced considerably.

By next year, the UT will entirely stop registrations of petrol/diesel-based two-wheelers and similarly, those of personal fuel-based cars will be reduced to 50 per cent after four years from now. The minimum achievable targets were set for each year that a specific set of percentage would be mandatory for e-vehicles to be registered.

For this year, it said that it will cease the registrations of fuel-based two-wheelers by July 6/7 and four-wheelers by December with the end of respective fiscal year targets.

As per the targets, in the first year of the policy, there was to be a 10 per cent reduction in four-wheelers and 35 per cent in two-wheelers, that is 2022, as compared to the preceding year. The targets for the current financial year 2023-24 are 20 per cent reduction in four-wheelers and 70 per cent in two-wheelers. In year three, four and five, the target for e-two-wheelers and e-three-wheelers, that is, passenger autos, it is 100% which means from 2024 onwards, the registrations of fuel-based two-wheelers and autos will be completely stopped, while for personal e-cars, it is 30%, 40% and 50% for 2024, 2025 and 2026, respectively. For e-buses too, the target set is 100% by fifth year which means the registrations of all fuel-based buses will be stopped.