Final blueprint pending, minister says even-odd formula won’t cover two-wheelers

A decision to ration road space was announced on Friday by the Arvind Kejriwal-led government to check rising pollution in the city.

On Sunday, both even and odd number plate cars can ply on Delhi roads, said Satyendra Kumar Jain, Delhi Home Minister, on Monday.

A comprehensive solution to Delhi’s pollution mess, however, can not take place till the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways are built so that trucks – they account for 15% of the capital’s pollution – bypass Delhi; and till the central government decides to hike excise duties on diesel cars/fuel to reverse the rampant dieselisation of the last few decades.

The minister said that the government will only allow emergency vehicles like PCR Van, Fire tenders, ambulance to run on roads in the national capital. “I will also use my auto on alternate days and will use carpooling service on other days”, Jain said.

Meanwhile, a senior official of Delhi Traffic Police said that there is no clarity till now regarding the legal provisions under which people who violate the odd-even formula will be prosecuted. People can send their suggestions to pollutionfreedelhi @gmail.com, he said.

The state government made a decision to curb vehicles in the national capital after the high court lamented on the poor air quality and compared living in the capital to “living in a gas chamber” on 4 December, while hearing a plea to reduce air pollution in the capital.

Terming the national capital’s public transportation system as “undeveloped and unsafe”, the petitioner has said that it would create problems for women who travel alone as well as differently-abled persons who use modified vehicles to commute. “We don’t want to see a law and order situation and the Government of India should issue an advisory on this”, he said, adding that other countries implemented such an idea after developing public transport. He did not mention Sundays, and a government official told The Indian Express that plans for that day were undecided.

In 2008, Beijing also imposed similar restrictions on private vehicles; even and odd numbered vehicles were allowed on alternate days.