When a system of alternative days was launched in Bogata, Colombia, he said, many just bought second cheap cars with a different license plate.
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“A sort of panic was created that the pollution has increased so much that something drastic has to be done”, Kejriwal said.
Sources said that the government will allow both even and odd numbered vehicles on Sunday as most people don’t go to work.
“In principle, a decision has been taken”.
Delhi house minister Satyendra Jain stated the government will exclusively permit emergency vehicles like PCR van, hearth tenders, ambulances on the roads of the national capital. Emergency services and public transport will not be under the ambit of the restriction, Delhi Dialogue Commission vice-chairperson Ashish Khetan said, while noting that the idea has been borrowed from foreign countries.
The Delhi government announced a plan Friday to curb its choking pollution levels, among the worst in the world, by limiting drivers to alternate days beginning next month. “He should see whether we have enough public transport to carry people?”
The Delhi Congress also alleged that the odd-even vehicle number formula is “pre-mature, “ill-conceived and without preparations”. The Chief Minister said apart from the elevated corridor for buses, he had thought of redesigning roads, augmenting public transport by bringing at least 10,000 buses before introducing restrictive measures.
During his interaction, the CJI had recalled his experience of flying from Jammu to Delhi and said there was a huge smoke cover over Punjab due to burning of crops by farmers there.
The Delhi government also vowed to improve public transportation, shut down a coal-fired power station and start vacuuming roads to reduce dust.
The Delhi High Court later ordered all private radio taxis to switch over to compressed natural gas (CNG) before March 1, 2016 if they desired to operate in the capital.
Another alternate suggested is the implementation of Congestion Charges, a la London, where a fee is charged to most motor vehicles (depending on size and emission levels) operating within heavily congested areas during peak hours (weekdays, 7am to 6pm).
Traffic police will also be told to ensure that diesel-guzzling trucks, which transit the city at night, enter only after 11 p.m. Currently, trucks are allowed to enter the city at 9 p.m., often resulting in massive traffic jams.
He said if Supreme Court judges pooled cars, it would send the right message to the people. “We can walk or even take a bus”, he was quoted by The Hindu newspaper saying.
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On bureaucracy, he said they used to face lot of difficulties earlier but are happy now.
