Uttarakhand Announces Weekly 'No Vehicle Day' and 50% Fleet Cut in Fuel Conservation Push

Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday announced a wide-ranging set of fuel conservation and energy-saving measures in Uttarakhand, including a weekly “No Vehicle Day", promotion of work-from-home practices, and a 50% reduction in official vehicle fleets. The decisions were taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister as the state government responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal for responsible energy consumption amid global uncertainty and rising fuel costs.

According to an official government statement issued after the cabinet meeting, the measures are aimed at reducing fuel dependency and encouraging sustainable practices across both government departments and the private sector. The state government announced that one day every week would be observed as a “No Vehicle Day", during which work-from-home arrangements would be encouraged wherever possible. Authorities also said video conferencing would be promoted for official meetings, while citizens would be urged to voluntarily reduce vehicle usage.

The cabinet also approved a 50% reduction in the vehicle fleets used by the chief minister, ministers, and government officials. Under a new “one officer, one vehicle” policy, officials handling multiple departments will only be allowed to use a single official vehicle each day. Government employees are being encouraged to use public transport, while the transport department has been directed to increase bus capacity and services to support the shift away from private vehicles.

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The Uttarakhand government further announced plans to strengthen electric vehicle adoption in the state. Officials said that 50% of all new government vehicle purchases would compulsorily be electric vehicles, while EV charging stations and related infrastructure would be expanded on priority. An updated electric vehicle policy is also expected to be introduced soon as part of the broader clean energy push.

Several additional austerity and sustainability measures were also announced by the cabinet. Restrictions will be imposed on official foreign travel, while campaigns promoting domestic tourism under the “Visit My State” initiative will focus on religious, rural, wellness, and eco-tourism circuits. The government also approved awareness campaigns encouraging the use of locally manufactured products, reduced edible oil consumption, and limited gold purchases for one year as part of a wider public participation programme titled “Mera Bharat, Mera Yogdan".

The state government said the new measures were influenced by global challenges such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, instability in West Asia, and disruptions in fuel and fertiliser supply chains. The move is also part of a broader austerity campaign being adopted by BJP-led governments across India following Prime Minister Modi’s recent appeal for fuel conservation. Similar measures, including reductions in official convoys, promotion of public transport, and work-from-home policies, have recently been announced in states including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

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