STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Jammu city’s innovative e-autos and e-rickshaws, part of the Jammu Smart City Project, have won the prestigious ‘Award of Excellence in Urban Transport’ at the 17th Urban Mobility India Conference and Expo 2024 held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The award, conferred by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, ML Khattar, recognizes the project in the category of ‘City with Most Innovative Financing Mechanism.’ CEO of Jammu Smart City Project, Dr. Devansh Yadav, along with the team of Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL), including Senior General Manager of Finance Ashish Anand, received the award. Dr. Yadav highlighted the socio-economic benefits of this eco-friendly initiative, stating it has generated job opportunities while reducing reliance on conventional fuels. Approximately 800 low-income families in Jammu are benefiting from this green initiative. “Our vision for e-rickshaws and e-autos is rooted in three key objectives: providing economical end-mile connectivity, promoting pollution-free transportation, and enhancing employment opportunities for low-income families,” Yadav said. “This e-mobility scheme has opened new economic opportunities for local drivers.” While acknowledging that zero-emission electric vehicles typically have higher upfront costs compared to conventional vehicles, Yadav noted that the FAME-II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) subsidy significantly enhances affordability. To further support beneficiaries, the Jammu Smart City Limited provides subsidies up to Rs 74,000 for e-autos and Rs 58,000 for e-rickshaws through a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. This subsidy reduces the overall cost of electric vehicles by 25-30% for buyers.