Shared Taxis, EVs To Anchor Delhi’s New Transport Push, Says CM Rekha Gupta

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday outlined a decisive transport reset, declaring shared taxis and electric vehicles as the backbone of the government’s renewed strategy to combat air pollution and traffic congestion in the national capital.

Signalling a sharper policy push, Gupta said the Delhi government is actively engaging with transportation network companies such as Ola and Uber to prioritise shared mobility and environmentally responsible services.

The Chief Minister said the administration is exploring the revival of shared taxi services that operated in Delhi before the pandemic but were later discontinued. She stressed that restoring these services would offer commuters an affordable, convenient alternative while directly reducing the number of private vehicles clogging city roads.

Gupta made it clear that pollution control cannot succeed without cutting vehicular volume. She said the government’s transport policy focuses on enabling fewer vehicles to carry more passengers efficiently, without compromising commuter comfort or safety.

According to her, shared transport and electric mobility are no longer optional experiments but central pillars of Delhi’s long-term environmental strategy.

To advance this agenda, the Delhi government plans to convene a special meeting with transportation network companies in the coming weeks.

Gupta said the discussions will focus on restarting shared taxi operations, increasing the participation of women drivers, and integrating private electric vehicles into app-based taxi services. She added that the government expects aggregators to actively align with Delhi’s clean mobility goals.

Automated Fitness Testing to Weed Out Polluters

Alongside shared mobility, the government is tightening oversight of commercial vehicles.

Gupta said Delhi is rapidly expanding automated vehicle fitness testing infrastructure to ensure that polluting vehicles do not operate on city roads.

The fitness testing centre at Jhuljhuli is already functional and examines nearly 70,000 vehicles annually, while the Burari facility is undergoing upgrades. She said two additional automated fitness centres at Nand Nagri and Tehkhand are likely to become operational by March next year.

Together, these four centres will test approximately 2.5 to 3 lakh commercial vehicles every year.

The government has also approved five more automated fitness testing stations at DTC depots in Bawana, Ghazipur, Savda Ghevra, GTK Depot, and Dichau Kalan.

Citing research findings, Gupta said vehicular emissions remain a major contributor to Delhi’s air pollution crisis. She reiterated that strengthening public transport remains a top priority.

Metro rail, buses, and electric mobility form the foundation of Delhi’s transport roadmap, she said, adding that certain corridors under Delhi Metro Phase-5A have received in-principle approval from the Centre.

The planned expansion, she noted, will ease road congestion and offer a durable pollution-control solution.

The Chief Minister said the government continues to enforce parallel anti-pollution measures, including dust control, strict monitoring of construction sites, mechanical road cleaning, prevention of open burning, and deployment of mist sprayers and anti-smog guns in pollution hotspots.

She emphasised that all departments remain on high alert, working in close coordination to deliver measurable air quality improvements.

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