Himachal to promote e-vehicles, create zero emission zones

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune news Service

Shimla, July 3

Concerned over high vehicular emissions, Himachal plans to promote electric vehicles by creating zero or low emission zones in Shimla, Baddi, Dharamsala and eco-sensitive areas in all tourist destinations where only battery-operated vehicles will be allowed.

The Himachal Electric Vehicle policy is being formulated. The state has around 19 lakh registered vehicles, including nine lakh two-wheelers. As the prices of most of the electric vehicles are high, the government is keen to provide some subsidy or incentive but this may not be possible due to severe financial constraints it is facing.

“There are several concessions such as road tax and permit exemption for all battery-operated e-vehicles. Based on the suggestions from various stakeholders, we will initially target the nine lakh two-wheeler segment, as this, too, will go a long way in reducing emission levels and make it low-cost running,” said Anupam Kashyap, Director, Transport.

To begin with, it is being contemplated to have zero or low emission zones in Shimla, Baddi, Dharamsala where only electric vehicles, cycles and walking will be permitted. “The other step will be to prioritise tourist spots, eco-sensitive areas and reserved forests for electric vehicles so that people consider the option of having such vehicles, including taxis,” said Kashyap.

It is being recommended that the urban development agencies in each city identify these zones along with the timings and regulations. During consultations for the drafting of the Electric Vehicle Policy, it was suggested that rather than having charging stations, which would require huge open spaces, charging points could be made available at wayside amenities such as hotels, restaurants and dhabas.

Himachal is amongst the first states in the country to run battery-operated electric vehicles following the National Green Tribunal (NGT) rap over high vehicular emissions causing environmental damage in the ecologically-fragile Rohtang area and its glaciers. Some private individuals are running electric auto-rickshaws in border areas such as Baddi, Nalagarh and Paonta Sahib, as they are cost efficient with low running cost and practically require no maintenance.

At present, the government is running 75 electric buses (50 in Shimla and 25 on the 50 km Manali-Rohtang route), as per the NGT directives. Besides, the Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) is operating 50 electric taxis in various urban centre in the state.