Delhi’s response to the PM’s request to save fuel: two days of WFH, no-car day, and online meetings

In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “wise spending” and fuel conservation, the Delhi government on Thursday unveiled a number of initiatives targeted at lowering fuel usage and relieving pressure on foreign exchange reserves.

Every Delhi government employee would work from home two days a week under the new policies. In an effort to reduce travel and fuel use, the administration recently announced that 50% of official meetings will now take place online.  In order to lessen traffic congestion and fuel consumption during peak hours, the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will also alter office hours.

In addition, the government has made the decision to use fewer official vehicles. The monthly cap has been lowered from 200 liters due to a 20% reduction in the gasoline provided to officers.  Delhi will hold a “Metro Day” in an effort to promote public transportation, and the government will also encourage residents to celebrate a “No Car Day” once a week.

The Delhi government also said that for the next six months, it will not buy any new cars.  Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued seven requests to the public, asking them to cut back on gasoline use, put off buying gold for a year, avoid unnecessary international travel and destination weddings, and, whenever feasible, use public transportation, carpool, and work from home choices. The appeals, according to government sources, were not “austerity measures” or official economic restrictions but rather a call for “responsible consumption” and “economic patriotism” in the face of rising global energy prices and pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves as a result of the ongoing conflict with Iran and the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.

The sources emphasized that, given India’s continued reliance on imports of edible oil, gold, crude oil, and fertilizers, the government was not urging citizens to cut back on spending but rather to make prudent purchases.

58 customized buses will be run throughout 29 government colonies for government personnel in an effort to promote their use of public transportation. The actions follow the Prime Minister’s call for people to cut back on wasteful fuel use, among other things.