Govt seeks a year to include women, twowheelers in oddeven scheme

NEWDELHI: The Delhi government on Monday requested t he National Green Tribunal to exempt women drivers and twowheeler users in the odd-even road rationing arrangement for at least one year, admitting that the existing public transport system was not adequate enough to accommodate them.

In a petition, to be heard by the NGT on Tuesday, the government said it would be able to include women and two-wheelers in the scheme only next year after more buses are bought. Citing non-availability of land for not being able to procure new buses, the Aam Aadmi Party government said it was going to bring 2,000 new buses that would start coming in the next six months.

The Delhi government had decided to bring back the oddeven scheme from Monday. It had backed out on rolling out the plan on Saturday after the tribunal questioned the exemptions to two-wheelers and women.

“It is most respectfully prayed that this tribunal may be please to exempt the two-wheeler and women drivers from the oddeven plan for a period of one year or till the 2,000 buses are engaged, whichever is earlier,” read the petition, of which HT has a copy .

Having not bought a single bus for the Delhi Transport Corporation since the Commonwealth Games in 2010, the government said in its petition on Monday that it would require 2,500 more buses to accommodate 25 lakh extra passengers if two-wheelers are taken off the road for the oddeven scheme. But the NGT rebuked the government while questioning the impact of the oddeven scheme on pollution. The court said women and twowheeler users should be made to follow the road rationing plan too.