Stage set for transport EVs with ‘zero cost permit’

CHENNAI: The Regional Transport Offices in the State would soon start registering battery-operated electric transport vehicles, with the State government expected to approve the “zero cost permit”.

Transport EVs are not being registered in the State, as the notification issued by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) asking states to register electric vehicles for passenger mobility without imposing any permit requirement raised concerns.

“Later, MoRTH came out with a draft notification that the permit can be given with zero fee after several states raised apprehension,” said a senior official of the Commissionerate of Transport and Road Safety, noting that the State had nationalised bus transport in 1973 and very few buses are operated as private stage carriages.

Explaining the concerns, the official said in the absence of permits, anyone could operate a battery-operated vehicle as a stage carriage and the government would not be able to regulate.

“We have sent a proposal on ‘zero cost permit’ to the State government. As soon as the approval comes, we will start registering commercial transport vehicles,” the official added.

An RTO said the permits issued to transport vehicles come with a set of conditions that varies for each category of vehicle. “For autorickshaws, the vehicle owners should operate them within a district in a radius of 30 km from the residence of the permit holder. For stage carriages permit for buses, the vehicle should be operated only on a particular route. Hence, the permit condition is important to regulate vehicle operation,” the official added.

Under the Electric Vehicle Policy 2023, the State government has implemented a measure to distinguish EVs with number plates to be exhibited in yellow colour on a green background for transport vehicles and white colour on green background for the rest. As of date, there are about 1.90 lakh e-vehicles in Tamil Nadu.