Petition filed in HC challenging Delhi’s odd-even scheme, hearing on Nov 1

NEWDELHI: A lawyer filed a plea in the Delhi high court on Tuesday challenging the proposed implementation of the odd-even road rationing scheme, contending that it violates fundamental right to equality by giving exemption to women drivers. The AAP government has decided to implement the road rationing scheme in the national capital from November 4 to 15.

The PIL sought quashing of the decision to implement the odd-even scheme in Delhi on the ground that granting exemption to women drivers is a violation of the fundamental right to equality. The PIL came up for hearing before a bench of chief justice D N Patel and justice C Hari Shankar which listed the matter for November 1 as the petition has not placed on record a copy of the scheme.

The plea of advocate Shashwat Bhardwaj said, “The State, that is, the sole respondent herein, in implementing the said scheme and enforcing it on the residents of Delhi is denying equality before law on the ground of sex and therefore the said scheme warrants it to be struck down by this court as it is in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution.”

It also sought direction to the Delhi government to set up a committee comprising bureaucrats and Bar members to conduct a study on the viability of the oddeven scheme and an alternative arrangement that does not violate a fundamental right and fills the void that the scheme fails to take into account. The petitioner said a representation was made before the chief secretary but nothing was done. This will be the third time that the scheme will be enforced in Delhi after two 15-day periods in January and April 2016.