Air Pollution: Kejriwal Government Circulates Its Ambitious Aggregator Policy In Public Domain

Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government has circulated its ambitious Aggregator Policy in the public domain. The policy has been drafted in view of rising air pollution and will mandate ride aggregators and delivery services to adopt electric vehicles (EV) while procuring new fleets. The draught policy first notified on the 14th of January 2022, has been put up in the public domain by inviting suggestions and objections of the general public within a period of 60 days starting from January 25, 2022, which is the official publication date of the gazette notification, post which it would be notified for implementation. As a result, any feedback received would be incorporated into the policy and announced for implementation.

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As per the policy, aggregators and delivery services would need to ensure 10 per cent of all newly onboarded two-wheelers and 5 per cent of all newly onboarded four-wheelers are electric in the next 3 months, since the date of implementation, while 50 per cent of all two-wheelers and 25 per cent of all four-wheelers are electric by March 2023.

The Aggregator Policy mandates procuring electric vehicles for delivery services

Drafted in accordance with regulations set forth by the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2020, the aggregator policy allows incentives to ensure the transition to EV amongst the ride-hailing industry happens in a time-bound manner.

In a statement on this policy, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said, ''Delhi Government will continue to engage its citizens in implementing such forward-looking policies in the fight against pollution. Now that the policy has been put up in the public domain for comments, I would request everyone to be actively involved in sending their feedback and comments.''

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''To ensure the policy has large scale impact in reducing vehicular emissions not just in Delhi, but the larger NCR region, the Government of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi will also be making a representation to Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) to direct other states in the NCR area to also adopt an aggregator policy for EV uptake in operational fleets, that would allow for a transcending policy to combat vehicular emissions in the Delhi NCR area'', Environment Minister further added.