The Assam transport department has formulated a new policy for electric cars and the same is awaiting the state government’s approval
While environment-friendly electric vehicles (EVs) are gradually making inroads into the market in Guwahati and also across Assam, it is surprising to learn that the Assam government has no specific policy yet to regulate them.
In the last issue, (Volume 8, Issue 9) G Plus had reported that instead of the regular petrol or diesel options, many Guwahatians are now opting for the electric variant. Launched in September 2020, Tata Motors has already sold about a dozen such vehicles in Guwahati. And considering that these are environmentally suitable, the District Transport Authority (DTO) has provided a special green registration plate for the EVs.
Although the union government has been promoting the sale of electric cars and buses to curb the ever-deteriorating air quality and have even issued guidelines urging every state to frame their own set of EV specific guidelines, the Assam government is yet to do so.
Hence, the few electric vehicles that are being driven on the streets of Guwahati are registered under the same policy as that of the petrol and diesel variants.
Raj Sharma, Deputy General Manager of Tata Motors, speaking to G Plus said, “The electric vehicles do not have any engine and is powered by a battery only. Since there is no use of fuel, there is no pollution. If an EV runs for 125 kms, its saving the production of as much carbon dioxide as a tree can convert in one year. Although its price is higher than that of other motor run vehicles, its running cost is very low at around Re. 1 per km, which is otherwise around Rs. 4 per km for petrol and diesel cars.”
“EVs were launched in India on 28th January this year. In Guwahati, it was launched in September. Many states have special policy for EVs and major relaxations on taxes are also provided. However, no such rules have been adopted in Assam. In Bengal, there is tax relaxation, in Bihar it is 50 percent. Some states like Delhi and Maharashtra are also providing the company incentives for every vehicle we sell. The government, in order to promote these eco friendly cars, has adopted special rules. There is subsidy on road tax in many states like Maharashtra, Telangana, Delhi, Karnataka and Kerala. Further, no permit is required for commercial usage of EVs anywhere across India,” he added. However, the Assam government is yet to implement any policy or relaxation.
“Adil Khan, Commissioner of Transport, has assured us that some rules will be formulated on these lines. I presume nothing has been done as of yet as the numbers are very low. Assam is yet to catch up with the trend of EVs like other states,” said Sharma.
Gautam Das, DTO Kamrup (M), Licensing and Enforcement and Rubul Talukdar, Deputy Commissioner of Transport, informed that some policy has been formulated which is yet to receive the government’s approval.
Gunadhar Das, Joint Commissioner of Transport, who is in charge of the electric vehicles, told G Plus, “Till date the electric cars that have been purchased are registered like other ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles. Although they deserve relaxed taxation policy we are unable to do so as there is no policy in Assam. The customers are willing to pay the high taxes and we are also earning.”
“But we have formulated a set of rules to take them under our ambit properly. The policy has been structured as per the guidelines of the central government and we have already submitted it to the state government. It is yet to get approved as many departments including the home ministry, finance and others are to consider its viability. Until then EVs will be registered as regular cars,” he added.
Even the new policy for EVs fails to accommodate e-rickshaws within its ambit
Although the transport department and the state government have gone to the extent of formulating a new policy for the luxury electric cars that also do not have any engine but run on battery, the department plainly refused to take the e-rickshaws under their ambit stating that “They do not have any engine, and no Chassis Number. How will we register them? These are slow moving vehicles and are just a means of last length of connectivity. They are not our responsibility.”
All around Guwahati, e-rickshaws are considered a convenient and affordable means of communication, especially in the by-lanes and smaller roads. On the flipside these are unruly and are major contributors of traffic blockage and accidents.
G Plus enquired about the total number of the e-rickshaws in Guwahati. It came as a surprise that none of the government departments - be it the district administration, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) or the District Transport Office (DTO) - have any records of these.
Sources in the District Transport Office, Kamrup (M) revealed, “The selling and registration of e-rickshaws was stopped by the government in Guwahati city, in pursuance of a Gauhati High Court order, on 23rd March, 2016. They are not permitted to ply on the main roads and highways and are only meant for last mile connectivity where there are no other means of public transport. Since then we have not registered any e-rickshaws.”
“However, as they are permitted in the rural areas, many register them with DTO Kamrup (Rural) and bring them to Guwahati. Rupjyoti Kalita, DTO Kamrup (R), confirming the same said, “We register the e-rickshaws here as is it not done in the metropolitan. But we do not know exactly how many are taken back to the city.”
The total number of e-rickshaws registered till date with DTO Kamrup (R) is 5,276. In 2020 alone 1,486 have been registered. However, the areas where they are operated remains unknown even to the authorities.
Despite the ban being imposed in 2016, the Kamrup (M) transport office has a record of registering 1,165 e-rickshaws till 30th June, 2018.
Sources have also revealed that although a few choose to register their e-rickshaws and get it done in the rural department, many others do not even bother to get it registered. Hence there is no specific record of the total number of such vehicles that are currently functional on the streets of Guwahati.
Animesh Das, Enforcement Inspector said, “We do take out drives to regulate them. We seize them and even fine them heavily but they resort to their original unruly selves once released. And the lack of proper registration is a major hindrance.”
And not just the e-rickshaws, some manual rickshaw pullers and owners have also resorted to installation of battery on their vehicles and have converted them into electric vehicles. How do the authorities plan to regulate these?
On a positive note, Biswajit Pegu, Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup Metropolitan, has ordered the transport department to take a count of the total number of e-rickshaws in the city.
Pegu said, “Although they are not under our jurisdiction a survey is currently under way to keep a track of these electric vehicles. The transport department has also been asked to decide on fixed routes for them.”
Reportedly the survey will be completed in the coming weeks.
GMC does not have exact record of manual rickshaws
Apart from the e-rickshaws, there are the manual rickshaws that come under the ambit of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation. Every such vehicle is supposed to possess an individual GMC registration number. But many are missing the same.
Navadeep Changmai, who is in-charge of rickshaws under GMC said, “4,400 rickshaws are registered under us and have the GMC monogram. But there are also many unregistered ones. People procure it from outside and use them in the city without registering. So the numbers are actually higher than in records. Also the ones that have attached a battery to them are actually illegal.”
