Delhi allowing only electric bike taxis will impact millions, says Uber

Uber Technologies Inc has said that the Delhi government's decision to ban bike taxis from the city roads and only allow electric ones would risk "finishing off the sector" and impact the mobility needs of millions. The government of the national capital is working on a new policy to regulate vehicles used by ride-hailing companies like Uber and Ola, which is being finalised and will be rolled out soon, as per a report from earlier this week.

If implemented, this policy would mark an aggressive step towards the country's ambitions to ramp up the transition towards electric and clean energy vehicles, and will also help reduce oil imports and curb pollution. In its blogpost, Uber said that such as move would, however, put a risk on the livelihood of over 100,000 drivers in the city.

Sunday newspapers in Delhi carried ads from the government saying that digital platforms offering two-wheeler bike taxi rides should not do so as it violates certain existing transport rules.

The company also urged the government to initiate industry dialogue, saying, "Steep and infeasible EV mandates risk finishing off the sector as we know it. The impact of such a decision on the livelihoods and mobility needs of millions of Delhiites is clear.

While Uber isn't in favor of the decision related to allowing only electric bike taxis in Delhi, the company has set its own green goals to support the environment. Uber has set a 2040 target for 100% of its rides to be in zero-emission vehicles, public transport or with micro-mobility, including in India.

Earlier this month, the company also announced plans to introduce 25,000 EVs over three years in India. However, electric cars will be just a fraction of the company's current overall active fleet of 300,000 vehicles here.