Delhi’s Odd-even Plan Kicks In, Kejriwal Carpools with Cabinet Colleagues

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers led by example by pooling cars, using public transport and, in one case, a motorbike to reach the secretariat on Friday, the first day of the car-rationing experiment. Around 3,000 traffic police and 6,000 civil defence volunteers were deployed. But with schools and colleges shut, and many offices closed for the New Year’s holiday, far fewer people needed to be on the roads.

Offenders are being fined Rs. 2,000 by traffic policemen and officials.

Under the Delhi government’s new rule, if vehicles with license numbers ending with odd numbers are out one day, it will be the turn of vehicles with license numbers ending with even numbers the following day, and so on. The rest were prosecuted in the peak evening hours.

As the clock ticked eight on Friday, the odd-even vehicular restriction policy of the Delhi government came into effect with thousands of volunteers taking to the streets to assist traffic police in enforcing the pilot plan.

Rai who took a bus ride to take stock of the situation on the roads said “only odd-numbered cars were seen on the road yesterday while today only even numbered cars are visible”. “This way the government will not look into imposing the formula and in another way it will force those who do not want to utilize their time schedule in a proper way will naturally chose to travelling to their offices either by coordinating with their colleagues or by coordinating with the people of their locality, ” said a source.

“I’m truly overwhelmed… people have achieved the impossible. Whenever pollution levels spike, this is used as a weapon”.

Rai, who criss crossed areas across Delhi to take stock of the scheme’s implementation, also “wholeheartedly” thanked Delhi Police for ensuring implementing the scheme with total commitment. The Air Quality Index (AQI) measured by the Central Pollution Control Board at 10 places showed mixed results as major pollutants stayed the same as normal days and were found to be more on heavy traffic stretches, compared to Thursday.

Kejriwal will share his vehicle with Transport Minister Gopal Rai and PWD Minister Satyendar Jain while Environment Minister Imran Hussain and Social Welfare Minister Sandeep Kumar will take an auto and a bus, respectively, to Delhi Secretariat. Experts said the real impact of the scheme will be tested on Monday.

The Chief Minister said there were very few even-numbered cars on the road on Friday.

Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi today once again appealed to people to cooperate with his force throughout the 15-day period during which the initiative will be in force.

Also, some have questioned the logic of exempting two-wheelers from the scheme, which also exempts women-only vehicles, CNG, hybrid and electric vehicles.

Volunteers are out on the roads carrying placards explaining the rules.