Chandigarh to stop registering petrol powered two wheelers: Only electric vehicles permitted

The Administration of Chandigarh has made a huge announcement that from the beginning of 2024 the office of Registering & Licensing Authority, UT, Chandigarh will completely stop the registration of non-electric two-wheelers. Furthermore, beginning today i.e. 10th February the administration has also stopped the registration process for non-EV two-wheelers for the financial year 2023. According to the administration’s official statement, this step has been taken in order to to achieve the aim of eco-friendly and green transportation in Chandigarh.

Chandigarh administration in its order to cease the registrations of ICE two wheelers stated, “The policy aims at encouraging electric mobility and discouraging non-electric vehicles in the interest of healthier environment. In order to encourage electric vehicles, waiver on road tax on electric and hybrid vehicles has been envisaged in the policy. Simultaneously, in order to limit and discourage non-electric vehicles, provision for capping on their registration has been made in the policy,”

The administration announced its Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2022 back in September of last year. According to this policy, a decrease of 10% in four-wheelers and 35% in two-wheelers from the previous year has been targeted for the first year by restricting their registration in the city.

So to explain the reasoning behind the capping of registrations of ICE two wheelers from 10th of February the statement added, “Since the registration of non-electric two-wheelers has already been achieved for the current financial year, their registration is required to be immediately stopped in order to implement the provisions of EV Policy and in the interest of greener Chandigarh,”

Additionally the administration stated, “It is for the information of the general public that non-electric two-wheelers sold on or after 10.02.2023 shall not be registered by the office of Registering & Licensing Authority, UT, Chandigarh, in the current financial year, that is, till 31.3.2023 in pursuance of Electric Vehicle Policy 2022,”

Earlier in September of last year when the administration announced the EV Policy, the minimum achievable goals for each year that a certain set of percentage would be required for electric cars to be registered were established. The administration for the first year, i.e 2022 stated that 35% is an achievable goal for the registration of electric two-wheelers. So when 65% of the fuel-powered two-wheelers were registered this year, it stated that no further registrations of these vehicles will be accepted. The two-owner wheeler’s would need to register it somewhere other than Chandigarh added the administration of Chandigarh.

For those unaware about the other targets set by the policy for the upcoming years. The policy mentioned that the least attainable aim for e-two-wheelers and e-three-wheelers in the first year is 35%, and 20% for e-three-wheelers and e-four-wheelers for goods. Meanwhile t he goal for personal electric cars in this year (the first year) is 10%; for e-buses, it is 40%; and for commercial electric cars, it is 20%. Following this year,  the minimum attainable aim for electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers, or passenger cars, is 70% each in the second year, or 2023, while the target for goods e-three-wheelers and e-four-wheelers is 40% each. The target is raised to 20% for personal usage of e-cars, and in the second year, to 50% for e-buses.

Correspondingly, the goal for e-two-wheelers and e-three-wheelers, or passenger autos, in years three, four, and five is 100%, meaning that starting in 2024, the registration of fuel-based two-wheelers and autos will end completely. Meanwhile, the goal for personal e-cars is 30%, 40%, and 50% for 2024, 2025, and 2026, respectively. The aim established for e-buses is 100% by the fifth year, which implies that no further fuel-based buses will be registered at all.