New Delhi: The Delhi government's draft aggregator policy mandates transition to an all-electric fleet for cab companies, food delivery firms and e-commerce entities by April 1, 2030 and proposes a fine of Rs 50,000 per vehicle if a company fails to make the transition.
The draft policy titled Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator Scheme' has been uploaded on the Transport Department's website with the government inviting feedback on the scheme within the next three weeks. The draft policy also lays down guidelines for cab aggregators to take action against errant drivers. For drivers having a rating less than 3.5 over a period of one year, the policy mandates that the aggregator should undertake remedial trainings and corrective measures to rectify the issues.
The policy contains points and guidelines on licensing and other aspects for aggregators providing passenger transport services and for regulation of other delivery aggregators providing delivery service of goods and commodities, including last-mile delivery service providers in the national capital.
The policy mandates that 10 per cent of the new three-wheelers on boarded by cab aggregators should be electric vehicles within the first six months of the notification of the policy and 100 per cent within four years of the scheme notification.
Similarly, for four wheelers, five per cent of the new fleet acquired by aggregators within six months of the notification of policy should be electric ones, it says, which should increase to 15 per cent within nine months, 25 per cent by the end of one year, 50 per cent by the end of two years, 75 per cent by the end of three years and 100 per cent by the end of four years. The entire fleet should comprise electric vehicles by April 1, 2030.
The draft also states that the aggregators shall be allowed to charge a fare with maximum surge pricing but it should not be "exceedingly twice the base fare as specified by the Transport Department, GNCTD from time to time".
The policy also states that aggregators providing on-demand service for passenger transportation shall ensure appropriate functioning of the GPS installed in the vehicle and provide efficient resolution for any issues that may develop in its functioning.
While stressing that the app developed by the aggregator must be compliant with the laws, it said that aggregators providing passenger transport service shall establish call centres with valid telephone numbers and operational email addresses displayed clearly on the app with 24x7 operations wherein assistance shall be provided to the end-user and the driver in English and Hindi languages.
The policy also seeks to empower the Transport Department to call for information and documents from the aggregator in any incident where the end-user has reported a complaint against the driver, or services provided by an aggregator, pursuant to prior written notice.
Aggregators involved in passenger transport shall establish an Operating Centre or Command & Control Centre (CCC) or Information Centre in the national capital that will be functional 24 7.
The policy also said that the Operating Centre/CCC should be able to access and provide all data through a portal access of the aggregator to the Transport Department, with regards to all the grievances/complaints lodged by the rider(s)/consumer(s) and the action taken to remedy the same.