According to Uber Technologies Inc., proposals by the local government in Delhi, India, to only permit electric cars to serve as bike taxis run the risk of “finishing off the industry” and having an influence on millions of people’s transportation requirements.
Details about Decision by Delhi government to permit thousands of electric bike taxis
The Economic Times reported earlier this week that Delhi’s plans, which are a part of a new policy to govern vehicles used by ride-hailing businesses like Uber and competitor Ola, are being finalised and will be implemented soon.
These proposals could not immediately be confirmed by Reuters.
If put into practise, this would be a bold move in the direction of the nation’s goals to accelerate the switch to clean-energy cars in order to reduce oil imports and reduce pollution.
In a blog post, Uber stated that such a move would jeopardise the livelihood of nearly 100,000 city drivers.
“Steep and impractical EV mandates run the risk of destroying the industry as we know it. It is obvious how such a choice would affect the livelihoods and transportation requirements of millions of Delhi residents “Uber, which has its headquarters in San Francisco, urged the government to start an industry debate.
Uber has declared a goal that by 2040, all of its trips will be made using micromobility, public transportation, or zero-emission vehicles. This goal includes trips made in India.
Uber previewed plans to roll out 25,000 EVs in India over the course of three years earlier this month. Electric vehicles will still make up a small portion of Uber’s 300,000-strong active fleet in India.
The Delhi government issued newspaper advertisements on Sunday warning against the use of internet platforms that provide two-wheeler bike taxi services as they go against some established transportation regulations.
An inquiry from Reuters for a response to the advertisement was not answered by Uber, which provides bike rides in Delhi and many other Indian states.
