Amid reports that the odd-even scheme may be extended, Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai on Saturday asserted that the Government has no intention of taking the road-rationing experiment beyond January 15.
“The Government is neither going to extend the odd-even scheme beyond January 15 nor finish it before the 15-day trial period,” Rai said while briefing reporters.
He further said, after the trial period, the Government would study the data collected during the experiment and take a final decision only after doing a proper analysis.
Moreover, Rai said that in order to promote cycling and reduce pollution in the city, the Delhi Government would provide subsidy on cycles using the money collected from challans issued for violation of the odd-even rule during the experiment in the Capital.
Rai also said that some confusion was being spread that the experiment was illegally imposed by the Delhi Government, and claimed that under Section 115 of the Motor Vehicle Act, they have power to implement this scheme as such provisions were also made during the Commonwealth Games as per this law.
Rai said that once the car-rationing pilot plan is wrapped up, the Government will constitute a committee to work out further modalities of this proposed idea. The decision was taken in a meeting of the Coordination Committee on the odd-even scheme, chaired by Rai.
“We have decided to give subsidy on purchase of cycles using the money collected through challans for odd-even violations, to promote cycling in the national capital. The Government’s move is aimed at motivating people to use cycles as part of its drive of making Delhi pollution-free. There are no cycle tracks on main roads in Delhi, but the Government appeals to people to at least use cycles in their colonies, mohallas where they can easily ride them and where the possibility of road accidents is also less. Instead of using bikes, people can use cycles for their small household works like buying milk,” he said.
Meanwhile, Safar advisory status for pollution is “very poor” for three days including Saturday. Pm 2.5 for Saturday, Sunday and after three days is -165.3, 160.5, 156.9. Status for Pm 10 is moderate. Wind speed is relatively high which is considered good, according to IMD official.
On Saturday, AAP volunteers for odd-even scheme formed a human chain at Janpath to make pollution-free Delhi. Minister Gopal Rai was also present on the occasion.
Rai, who on Saturday at his residence held a meeting of Coordination Committee with officials concerned on the scheme, said from January 1-8, Traffic Police, Transport and Revenue Departments have issued 5,893 challans for the violation of odd-even rules so far.
“Out of these numbers, 2,912 challans were issued by SDMs and 2,260 by Traffic Police. Besides, enforcement wing of the Transport Department has issued 721 challans for violating odd-even rules so far,” he said. Apart from this, 1,943 challans were issued by the Transport Department to auto drivers for different violations including refusal to drive. The Government has also received 13,528 calls on its two helplines in the last one week and most of them were related to queries about the scheme. Out of these calls, 395 were related to complaints against bus, auto drivers, and other issues.
According to the Minister, in view of traffic rush on some road stretches during peak hours, the Government has decided to deploy additional teams of Transport Department and Traffic Police to manage traffic there from Monday. The areas include, ITO, Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, Connaught Place, Mathura Road, Ashram, New Friends Colony, Nehru Place, Sarai Kale Khan, Hanuman Mandir Marg and Dhaula Kuan. The Transport Minister also appealed to Delhiites to use bicycles for their daily-need every day instead of using bikes in their colonies and said that the Government will build cycle tracks and stands on roads.
“Government has also decided to do a close monitoring on the assigned works of civil defence volunteers. Teams of SDM have also formed in this regard,” he said. The fate of the odd-even vehicle scheme will be decided on January 11 by the Delhi High Court which had on Friday reserved its order on various pleas challenging the AAP Government’s ambitious pilot project which will continue till then.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath reserved the order after the Delhi Government informed it that the pollution level of particulate matter across the national Capital showed a declining trend due to implementation of the scheme.