Lok Sabha Question No. 3356 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-12
Subject: Encouraging use of Public Tansport
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Shri Anil Yeshwant Desai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. - 3356

ANSWERED ON 12 th  MARCH, 2026

## ENCOURAGING USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT

3356. SHRI ANIL YESHWANT DESAI:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  estimated  number  of  vehicles  including  petrol  diesel  and electric vehicles running in the country's major cities during the last ten years;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  increasing  number  of vehicles is a major source of pollution in the cities of the country and if so, the steps taken by the Government to control their manufacturing and use by the common people; and
- (c)  whether  the  Government  would  consider  imposing  penalties  for possessing more than one vehicle in a family and encouraging the use of passenger vehicles/metro and other public transport for daily travel by people?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

- (a)      The  total  number  of  active  vehicles  based  on  valid  fitness  & registration, plying on roads in the country, as on 6 th  March, 2026, is 32,16,35,208.  The State wise count for total active vehicles  based on valid  fitness & registration is enclosed at ANNEXURE .
- (b)      Road  transport  accounted  for  about  12%  of  national  CO2 emissions  from  fossil  fuel  combustion  in  2021  [Source:  IEA  &  NITI Aayog Report-Transitioning India's Road Transport Sector; Published: July:  2023].  The  Government  has  taken  several  steps  to  control  and minimize air pollution caused by vehicles in the country which interalia include:
- (i)  Notified  Bharat  Stage  (BS)  VI  Emission  limits  including  use  of alternative fuels vide  G.S.R  889  dated  16.09.2016  to  reduce pollutants from motor vehicles.
- (ii)  Notified  E20  as  a  Mono  fuel  vide  G.S.R  27  (E),  dated  5th January, 2024 for all category of vehicles.
- (iii)  Notified  Hydrogen  as  a  fuel  vide  GSR  885(E)  dated  16th December 2022 for ICE BS-IV vehicles.
- (iv) Notified the Vehicle Scrapping Policy vide G.S.R 720 dated 5th October 2021 to phase out older, unfit polluting vehicles under the framework  of  the  Motor  Vehicles  Act,  1988  and  Central  Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989.
- (v)  Mandated  the  fitment  of  FASTAG  to  all  M  and  N  category vehicles vide G.S.R 1361 dated 2 nd  November 2017 to reduce idling time at toll plazas, cutting fuel consumption and emissions.
2. Government has taken following initiatives to promote adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the country:
- (i)  Notification  issued  vide  S.O.  5333(E)  dated  the  18th  October, 2018 to grant exemption from the requirements of  the permit  to the battery operated transport vehicles.

(ii)  Notification  issued  vide  G.S.R.  525(E)  dated  the  2nd  August, 2021  to  grant  exemption  of  Battery  Operated  Vehicles  from payment of fees for the purpose of issue or renewal of registration certificate and assignment of new registration mark.

- (iii)  Notification  issued  vide  G.S.R.  302(E)  dated  the  18th  April, 2023 to grant All India Tourist Permit for battery-operated vehicles without payment of permit fee.

(iv)  Notification  issued  vide  G.S.R.  167(E)  dated  the  1st  March, 2019 to facilitate retro-fitment of hybrid electric system or electric kit to vehicles. (v)  Notification  issued  vide  G.S.R.  749(E)  dated  the  7th  August 2018  enabling  registration  mark  of  Battery  Operated  Vehicles  in Yellow colour on Green background for the transport vehicles and for all other cases, in White colour on Green background. (vi) Further, an advisory dated 12th August 2020 has been issued to  all  States  and  UTs  regarding  sale  and  registration  of  twowheeled Electric Vehicles without batteries.

- (c)     No such proposal is under consideration.

ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  3356  FOR  ANSWER  ON  12TH  MARCH, 2026 ASKED BY SHRI ANIL YESHWANT DESAI REGARDING ENCOURAGING USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

State wise distribution of total active vehicles plying on road:

| State name               | Total vehicles plying on road   |
|--------------------------|---------------------------------|
| Andaman & Nicobar Island | 1,29,987                        |
| Andhra Pradesh           | 1,36,65,275                     |
| Arunachal Pradesh        | 3,23,431                        |
| Assam                    | 59,42,782                       |
| Bihar                    | 1,34,25,192                     |
| Chandigarh               | 7,50,801                        |
| Chhattisgarh             | 76,63,213                       |
| Delhi                    | 86,22,040                       |
| Goa                      | 12,06,098                       |
| Gujarat                  | 2,36,11,658                     |
| Haryana                  | 1,09,50,548                     |
| Himachal Pradesh         | 19,77,445                       |
| Jammu and Kashmir        | 22,08,385                       |
| Jharkhand                | 67,66,582                       |
| Karnataka                | 2,31,03,294                     |
| Kerala                   | 1,46,04,604                     |
| Ladakh                   | 44,758                          |
| Lakshadweep              | 19,374                          |
| Madhya Pradesh           | 1,85,92,086                     |
| Maharashtra              | 3,57,67,382                     |
| Manipur                  | 4,44,494                        |
| Meghalaya                | 4,34,451                        |
| Mizoram                  | 3,19,717                        |

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| Nagaland         | 3,13,388     |
|------------------|--------------|
| Odisha           | 96,32,356    |
| Puducherry       | 9,42,055     |
| Punjab           | 1,06,91,701  |
| Rajasthan        | 2,00,83,280  |
| Sikkim           | 1,14,147     |
| Tamil Nadu       | 2,80,92,139  |
| Telangana        | 4,92,934     |
| Tripura          | 6,74,144     |
| UT of DNH and DD | 2,80,192     |
| Uttar Pradesh    | 4,19,63,252  |
| Uttarakhand      | 34,99,054    |
| West Bengal      | 1,42,82,969  |
| Total            | 32,16,35,208 |

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