The Delhi Government’s order to restrict plying of private vehicles bearing odd and even registration numbers to alternate days from January 1 in the national Capital to curb alarming air pollution has sparked a debate.
And as people and some officials wondered how it would be implemented and what would be the modalities, experts suggested implementation to be an arduous task.
Some officers, who attended the meeting on Friday where the decision was taken, expressed their apprehension and termed the scheme highly impractical and cannot be enforced.
Pointing out that the odd and even number experiments have failed in some European countries, an insider said, “The decision was taken without consulting the Delhi Traffic Police. The Government is still clueless about how it would be implemented as the very success of this scheme is into the hands of the Delhi Police. And as we all know that the city Government is at loggerheads with it. Moreover, the traffic police are facing shortage of manpower.”
Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said, “The Delhi Police has not been consulted for the concerned proposal. If the proposal ever comes to us, it shall be examined by the traffic department and further action will be taken only in public interest. If the proposal comes to me, only then I shall be able to comment further on the issue. On our part, nothing can be said at this juncture.”
A Government official said, “This is not the first time that the Delhi Government is mulling such an idea which has failed in other countries. The scheme is successful in those cities where public transport system is effective. As far as Delhi is concerned, not a single new bus has been added since 2010. Same is the case with the cluster buses as not even a single bust was added since 2011.”
In 2004, a similar idea was floated by some transport officials in Delhi to curb traffic on the roads but was put on hold without any reason.
Besides, the other area of concern is penalising vehicles flouting the order as only the Environment Department can challan under the Air Ambient Act which has both fine and imprisonment provisions for polluting air. A former Transport Secretary said on the condition of anonymity that Delhi is not rich in infrastructure to implement this even and odd number order. “All those cities which implemented this scheme are better in infrastructure and public transport system as compared to Delhi.”