Ban on petrol two-wheeler registration: Fate of over 700 bookings for Dhanteras delivery in limbo

Dushyant Singh Pundir

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Chandigarh, November 2

The fate of more than 700 bookings of fuel-based two-wheelers for Dhanteras is in limbo after the UT Administration imposed a ban on registration of petrol two-wheelers last week.

The decision left many in a state of shock, as bookings had already been confirmed, and deliveries were expected on the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras on November 10. Chandigarh has nearly 10 dealerships of petrol two-wheelers and each of them has approximately 70 bookings. While dealers are staring at financial loss, customers are at sea too.

Maninder Singh, a resident of Mani Majra, booked a motorcycle to present it to his younger brother as a gift. He had planned to receive the motorcycle on Dhanteras and a considerable portion of the payment had already been made. “The ban caught us off guard. I am unsure of the fate of my booking,” he lamented.

In a blow to the potential buyers, the UT Administration had on October 29 stopped the registration of two-wheelers running on internal combustion engine (ICE) on achieving the target fixed for 2023-24 in the revised EV Policy. The Administration closed the portal for the registration of non-electric two-wheelers, as the extended target of 1,609 vehicles set under the revised EV policy was achieved. It was the third time in the calendar year and second time in the financial year when the registration of non-electric two-wheelers was stopped.

The sudden ban left many stakeholders, including dealers and customers, grappling with the implications of their pending bookings and payments. The UT Administration is yet to provide clear guidance on the way forward, leaving the stakeholders in a state of uncertainty.

A dealer said they had requested the UT Administrator to review the policy at the earliest as livelihood of thousands of people directly or indirectly was associated with the automobile industry.

The Administration had revised its electric vehicle (EV) policy on October 18, reducing the registration target for electric two-wheelers to 15% for the financial year 2023-24, down from the previous 25%. With this revision, additional 1,609 non-electric two-wheelers were allowed to be registered in the current fiscal. The registration target for personal electric cars was also lowered to 12% from 25% earlier. Also, the quota for registration of four-wheelers was extended to nearly 17,000 against the earlier target of 15,465 for the financial year. However, nearly 2,400 ICE four-wheelers have been left to be registered for the remaining period of the financial year. A dealer said the target could be achieved around Diwali.

The Registering and Licensing Authority (RLA) had stopped the registration of two-wheelers running on ICE on achieving the target fixed for 2023-24 in the EV Policy on October 6.

According to the target, only 12,076 two-wheelers running on petrol were to be registered in the city till March 31 next year. However, the target was achieved on October 6 and after that, their registration was stopped and then the quota was extended by 1,609 vehicles.

The UT Administration rolled out the EV Policy on September 20, 2022.

No registration since Oct 29

• The UT Administration had on October 29 stopped the registration of two-wheelers running on internal combustion engine (ICE) on achieving the target fixed for 2023-24 in the revised EV Policy.
• The Administration closed the portal for the registration of non-electric two-wheelers, as the extended target of 1,609 vehicles set under the revised EV policy was achieved.
• It was the second time in the financial year when the registration of non-electric two-wheelers was stopped.
• The Administration is yet to provide clear guidance on the way forward, leaving the stakeholders, including dealers and customers, in a state of uncertainty.