UT adviser Dharam Pal and home secretary Nitin Kumar Yadav have gone to the United Kingdom on a two-day visit to study sustainable mobility in action.
Yadav said, “We will be given field visit, presentations and hold discussions with different agencies on sustainable mobility practices in the UK. Introduction of electric vehicles in UK took place much before Chandigarh. There are valuable lessons to learn from their experience and challenges that the city can face seven to eight years down the line.”
In 2022, the UK government agreed to prepare a sustainable mobility plan for the city. The broad objective was to provide support for decarbonising the city’s transport and contribute towards the climate change agenda. The study will also focus on suggesting alternative eco-friendly transport system for the city.
Under the UK study, a road map is to be prepared to increase the uptake of e-mobility. Also, action plan and timelines for roll-out is to be created. Stakeholders will be consulted on the feasibility of the roadmap.
“The sustainable mobility plan will complement the RITES Tricity mobility plan,” said Yadav. The initiative also involves exchange of visits of higher officials of Chandigarh and UK. To achieve the aim of eco-friendly and green transportation in city beautiful, the Chandigarh administration has notified the Electric Vehicle Policy, 2022.
In a bid to limit and discourage use of non-electric vehicles in the first year, the aim is to reduce four-wheelers by 10% and two-wheelers by 35% as compared to the preceding year by capping their registration in the city. The target for the subsequent year is reduction of 20% in four-wheelers and 70% in two-wheelers for the current financial year, 2023-2024.
After achieving registration targets of non-electric two wheelers, registration (permanent and temporary both) will not be allowed within Chandigarh as registration quota for the subsequent year in the policy is NIL for non-electric two wheelers.
