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Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai boards DTC bus to inspect ‘odd-even’ rule
The odd-even formula by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government-under which private cars are allowed on the roads only on alternate days-kicked into effect from the first day of 2016. “Delhiites! You give me hope that you are capable of achieving big challenges”, Kejriwal said in a tweet.
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“They have to come up with the template, and that system should be sustained even beyond the 15-day program”, she said.
From 8:00am local time (02:30 UTC) on Friday, India’s capital New Delhi banned an estimated 1 million vehicles from traveling on any one day in a bid to reduce pollution levels.
Some central places like Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Ashoka Road and Connaught Place saw heavy traffic in the evening due to the New Year rush, the Delhi Traffic Police said.
Kejriwal said there were very few even-numbered cars on the road on Friday.
Delhi Police agreed that most of Delhi was abiding by the odd-even policy.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who has an odd-numbered auto, has said that he would strictly abide by the “Odd-Even” formula and would be using his bicycle to go to office on even dates.
200 teams of Traffic Police, 66 enforcement teams of transport department and 40 teams of sub-divisional magistrates were deployed across the city to ensure strict implementation of the scheme which is stipulated till 8 PM on week days.
While they agreed on implementing the scheme as decided on December 24, Rai accepted Bassi’s suggestion to slap offenders violating the provisions a fine of Rs 2000 during the day.
The three-term Congress government in the city between 1998 and 2013 was moderately successful in curbing vehicular pollution, by introducing CNG-fuelled public and private vehicles.
Civil defence volunteers stand at traffic halts and they also made violators of odd-even scheme understand the impact of pollution on them and their children.
When asked whether he was nervous in the morning over the odd-even scheme drive, Kejriwal said, “Yes, I was nervous in the morning on how people will react to this”.
As for city police commissioner B S Bassi’s warning (the police here do not report to the chief minister but to the centrally-appointed lieutenant governor) that none except the police are to enforce the rule, Rai said, “Bassi should not speak like a party spokesperson. However, the public transport is going to be equally crowded and if it gets too inconvenient, I may rather take leave”, the official told IANS on condition of anonymity. I still say that the odd-even plan isn’t sustainable and will only make a marginal difference to air quality.
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Several Delhi government Ministers either car-pooled or took to bikes and e-rickshaws to reach Delhi Secretariat on Friday.