After Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal issued a stern warning to app-based cab operators against charging exorbitantly higher fares on Monday, the Delhi Government has impounded 18 cabs of Ola and Uber.
Delhi’s Transport Minister Gopal Rai said, “Following the Chief Minister’s directive to take strict action against overcharging cabs, the enforcement wing of the Transport Department impounded 18 cabs belonging to Uber and Ola on Monday night.”
Action was taken against Ola and Uber cabs for overcharging and other complaints.
Meanwhile, a total of 567 vehicles were challaned for violating the odd-even rule. Out of this, 207 challans were issued by Delhi Traffic Police and 372 by Enforcement Wing of Delhi Transport Department. A total of 21.86 lakh commuters travelled in Delhi Metro till 8 pm on Tuesday against 22.73 lakh on Monday.
Meanwhile, heavy traffic was experienced in some parts of the city on Tuesday as well. Rai said that road congestions were due to construction and repair works being undertaken by various agencies during day hours.
He added that the Government has directed Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Public Works Department (PWD) and DJB to carry out construction and repair works at night during the ongoing second phase of the fortnight-long odd-even scheme.
Rai further said that Government has identified five road points where traffic congestion is being reported during the implementation of the scheme. These points are Dhaula Kuan, Nehru Place, Sangam Vihar, Bhairon Marg and ITO.
"At Dhaula Kuan, Nehru Place and Bhairon Marg, DMRC, PWD and DJB are taking up their some construction or repair works which are causing traffic jams," he said.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ruled out including two-wheelers in the odd-even scheme saying if this is done without improving the public transport system there would be "chaos" and "complete anarchy" on the city's street.
"Two-wheelers were excluded not because they are vehicles of the poor. The reason is when we analysed data of odd-even phase one, we saw that ridership in metro and bus had increased by 0.7 per cent and 5 per cent only. People who left their cars went for carpooling. If two-wheelers are included, around 40 lakh of which ply in Delhi every day, people will go for metros and buses; and we don't have that much capacity. There will be chaos and complete anarchy on the roads," Kejriwal said.
He added that public transport needs to be improved before two-wheelers could be brought under the ambit of the scheme. "Till the time we don't bring buses, which will require at least one-and-a-half to two years even if done in war-footing, we cannot include two-wheelers," he said.