UP Govt plans to create green Public Transport routes in all 75 districts by 2025

Lucknow, India (Urban Transport News): The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to create green Public Transport routes in each district by 2025 to ensure plying of e-buses there and promote the transition of public transportation to electric vehicles in other urban and rural areas as well.

The government also aims to attain a 100% transition of public transport to electric vehicles (EV) in 17 cities, including Lucknow, by 2030. This goal is in accordance with the new Electric Vehicle Manufacturing and Mobility Policy-2022 approved by the state cabinet on 13th October 2022.

“The state government is coordinating with NITI Aayog and Asian Development Bank (ADB) in formulating a ‘Comprehensive Electric Mobility Plan (CEMP)’ for Lucknow. This initiative will be extended to all 17 cities with municipal corporations, which may further be extended to other cities in the later phases with the help of NITI Aayog or any other institution," said the policy.

These plans will help the state government in formulating EV adoption and transition strategy. They will provide defined targets for transition and adoption in all EV segments for the subject cities. Green routes in these cities and suitable semi-urban areas would be identified for promoting EVs.

“To achieve the objective, the state government will also rationalize the upper ceiling defined for purchasing vehicles for government use from time to time and encourage the state government employees to purchase EVs through vehicle advances provided to them,” said the new policy.

The government will promote retro-fitted EVs in the state with certified technology (ARAI/ ICAI or any other). “Towards this, separate guidelines and their implementation shall be issued and managed by the state transport department,” it added.

NITI Aayog aims to achieve EV sales penetration of 70% for all commercial cars, 30% for private cars, 40% for buses and 80% for two and three-wheelers in the country by 2030. This is in line with the Govt of India's goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070.

Uttar Pradesh leads with the most electric vehicles in India, holding the highest share in EV sales in 2021. The number of units sold in Uttar Pradesh across all segments last year reached 66,701, followed by Karnataka with 33,304 units and Tamil Nadu with 30,036 units.

“Uttar Pradesh dominated the three-wheeler segment, while Karnataka and Maharashtra led the two-wheeler segment and four-wheeler segment, respectively,” reveals the policy that comes with a number of incentives and subsidies to attract investment of over Rs30,000 crores and generate direct and indirect employment for over a million (10 lakh) people.