: A fleet of 120 petrol or CNG cars will be pressed into service for the municipal by-polls scheduled later this month.
The apex court had on April 30 banned all diesel taxis in the Capital starting Monday. With the by-polls to 13 wards on May 15, the State Election Commission was banking on hiring 120 SUVs to transport the EVMs to the 690 polling booths.
State Election Commissioner Rakesh Mehta held a meeting with officials of the Transport Department and the Delhi Police on Tuesday to come up with a solution.
“We managed to get 30 CNG cars for the returning officers, the election observers and the expenditure observers. But, to transport the EVMs we were planning on hiring Innovas as they need bigger cars,” said Mr. Mehta.
Eventually, officials decided that the Transport Department will be requisitioning 120 petrol or Compressed Natural Gas cars from companies for three days – May 13, 14 and 15.
These 13 wards will see voting on May 15, and counting will be on May 17.
The wards were vacated in 2013 and 2015, when the councillors left to fight the Delhi Assembly elections.
