Uber Technologies Inc has raised concerns about the Delhi government’s plan to allow only electric vehicles to function as bike taxis. Uber has argued that the move could risk “eliminating the sector” and affect the livelihoods of more than 100,000 drivers in the city and the mobility needs of millions of people.
Delhi’s plan, part of a new policy to regulate vehicles used by ride-hailing companies such as Uber and rival Ola, is being finalized and will be launched soon, The Economic Times reported this week. Told at the beginning of. The move is an aggressive step towards the country’s ambitions to reduce oil imports and adopt clean energy vehicles to reduce pollution.
In a blog post, the company said that “steep and unviable EVs risk eliminating the sector as we know it. The impact of such a decision on the livelihood and mobility needs of millions of Delhiites is obvious.” The San Francisco-based company has urged the government to initiate an industry dialogue to address their concerns.
The company has set a target of 2040 for 100% of its rides to be with zero-emission vehicles, public transport, or micro-mobility including in India. Earlier this month, Uber announced plans to introduce 25,000 EVs in India over three years. However, electric cars will still only be a fraction of Uber’s current active fleet of 300,000 vehicles in India.
The Delhi government has already issued an advertisement in newspapers stating that digital platforms offering two-wheeler bike taxi rides should not do so as it violates some existing transport rules.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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