All public transport in Delhi will be electric by 2026: CM Rekha Gupta

Delhi will achieve 100% electrification of public transport by the end of 2026, CM Rekha Gupta has announced.

 Speaking at  an event by The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Gupta said that the UT is close to formulating its new EV policy 

Underlying the occurrence of accidents and setting accountability, Gupta exclusively underlined drivers as the reasons for accidents and not the car. She said, "Accidents happen every minute, every hour. Vehicles are not to blame; it is the drivers. We need to change the Indian mindset. Many take pride in not wearing seat belts. There must be stricter enforcement of traffic rules. If you fear breaking traffic laws abroad, you should not be allowed to break them here."

In addition, Gupta asked people to follow the traffic rules in order to be safe and not for the sake of the government.

She said, "We can give you an excellent market so that you can bring a variety of EVs to Delhi for people to buy them. By 2026, we will move to an all-electric fleet in our public transport. Every third vehicle in Delhi should be electric. We are in discussions with stakeholders and developing a model Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0. We have one target -- to improve Delhi's air quality," she added.

Earlier, the Delhi government pushed the deadline of the previous EV policy till March 31, 2026, to receive public opinion on the draft of the new policy.

The ongoing EV policy was launched by the Aam Aadmi Party in 2020 and has been extended many times.