Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered a major cut in the size of his official convoy as he pushes for greater use of electric vehicles as part of broader austerity and fuel-saving initiatives, PTI reports. Soon after his address in Hyderabad, where he urged citizens to reduce fuel consumption, the Prime Minister’s convoy numbers were reduced by nearly 50 per cent during his recent visits to Gujarat and Assam.Sources said the size reduction was done without compromising the security arrangements mandated under the SPG protocol. The Prime Minister has reportedly asked officials to include electric vehicles in the fleet wherever possible, although no new vehicles are expected to be purchased for the move.
During his recent speech at a rally organized by Telangana BJP in Hyderabad, PM Modi stressed on the need for austerity measures amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia. He appealed to citizens to reduce the use of petrol and diesel, use metro services more, adopt carpooling, increase use of electric vehicles and rely more on railways for parcel transportation. He encouraged work-from-home practices wherever possible to help conserve foreign exchange.Electric vehicles are being seen as an important step towards reducing fuel dependency and reducing operating costs. EVs also produce zero tailpipe emissions, helping reduce air pollution in urban areas. Furthermore, low operating and maintenance costs make them more efficient for daily use than conventional petrol and diesel vehicles.It is understood that many Union ministers are also adopting similar measures. Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders have also reportedly started increasing the use of electric vehicles in official movements.
(TagstoTranslate)Electric vehicles India(T)Narendra Modi convoy reduction(T)Benefits of electric vehicles(T)Fuel consumption reduction(T)Government electric vehicle initiative(T)PM Modi’s speech Hyderabad(T)Work from home fuel savings(T)SPG protocol safety(T)Carpooling and metro services
