00:04They're one of the most recognisable sights and sounds of Delhi.
00:09And they're about to change.
00:11So we knew the new EV policy was coming, but the content took us by surprise and I said
00:18very pleasantly surprised.
00:20In an effort to curb Delhi's notoriously poor air quality, the government has announced
00:24all new three-wheeled vehicles must be electric from next year.
00:29Kicking in for scooters and motorbikes in 2028.
00:33If you look at data, estimates vary between one third to 50 percent contribution coming
00:37from transport.
00:38Two-wheelers and three-wheelers are the largest source, followed by trucks, buses and then
00:43cars.
00:44The success of it would not only define the air pollution battle in Delhi, but also for
00:49the rest of the country.
00:52But for rickshaw drivers like Suraj Kumar Gupta, it won't be an easy switch.
00:57The 50-year-old has been weaving his passengers through the city's traffic for more than 20
01:01years and earns about $10 a day.
01:05If I buy a new one at my age, he says, I'll grow old, paying off the interest on the
01:11loan
01:11I will need.
01:12Suraj's current rickshaw is already registered, so he isn't being forced to buy an EV next year.
01:17But when he does make the change, he's worried charging the batteries will cost him income.
01:24It takes five minutes to fill this up with a passenger, he says.
01:28Will that be possible in an EV?
01:30Delhi heads over a thousand charging stations, but many of them face technical issues, like
01:35this one.
01:36This machine holds 14 batteries and it says there are four ready.
01:41But the machine won't release any because another message clots up saying none are available.
01:48Indrajeet Sashdeva leads a welfare association for rickshaw drivers and says issues like this
01:53mean the government needs to give the industry more time.
01:58We need proper infrastructure, he says, so auto drivers can recharge their batteries without
02:04wasting working hours.
02:06An ambitious plan that's a tough sell for some behind the wheel.
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