Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered a major reduction in the size of his official fleet while pushing for greater use of electric vehicles as part of a broader austerity and fuel-saving drive, PTI reported. Immediately after his address in Hyderabad, where he urged citizens to reduce fuel consumption, the strength of the Prime Minister’s convoy was reduced by nearly 50 percent during his recent visits to Gujarat and Assam.Sources said the downsizing was done without compromising the security arrangements mandated under the SPG protocol. The prime minister has also reportedly asked officials to include electric vehicles in the fleet wherever possible, although the move is not expected to buy new vehicles.
During his recent speech at a rally organized by the Telangana BJP in Hyderabad, PM Modi stressed the need for austerity measures amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia. He appealed to the citizens to reduce the use of petrol and diesel, make more use of metro services, adopt car pooling, increase the use of electric vehicles and rely more on railways for transporting parcels. He encouraged working from home wherever possible to help conserve foreign exchange.Electric vehicles are increasingly being seen as an important step towards reducing fuel dependency and reducing running costs. EVs also produce zero tailpipe emissions, helping to reduce air pollution in urban areas. In addition, lower operating and maintenance costs make them more efficient for daily use than conventional petrol and diesel vehicles.Several Union Ministers are also understood to be taking similar steps. Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders have also reportedly started increasing the use of electric vehicles for official transport.
