Chandigarh, Sept 21: Commercial electric vehicles in Chandigarh may soon get dedicated charging and battery swapping stations on the city’s outskirts, a move officials say will help decongest roads. The plan was discussed at a recent meeting of the Standing Committee of the Administrator’s Advisory Council on Transport.
Committee chairman Vijay Pal Singh said a feasibility study would be carried out jointly by the Municipal Corporation (MC) and the Chandigarh Renewal Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society (CREST). He added that designated charging and swapping facilities should be set up at city entry points to prevent electric autos from parking haphazardly for charging.
“A proper survey must be conducted to identify suitable locations for these stations,” Singh said. “Such a system will help maintain smooth traffic flow within the city.”
Chandigarh currently has 35 EV charging stations, along with 11 battery swapping stations for commercial vehicles. Officials said the proposed facilities would add capacity while improving traffic management.
The committee also took note of encroachments in parking areas by street vendors. Singh said the problem was “increasing day by day” and directed that vendors be removed. He further called for an inquiry to identify officials who allowed vending in parking spaces and recommended action against them.
On public transport, Transport Director informed the panel that 80 of the 438 buses running in the Tricity are electric, and the remaining 358 diesel buses will be replaced with electric vehicles by the next financial year.
A representative of the Chandigarh Transport Association urged that land be acquired in Daria at the earliest for the new Transport Area planned under the Master Plan-2031. The representative also stressed the urgent need for an underpass at Transport Chowk to cut congestion and provide direct access for commercial vehicles between the Transport Area and the Industrial Area.
