CM carpools, Dy CM rides bicycle; 233 fined
NEW DELHI: The number of vehicles on roads came down significantly on Monday, the first day of Delhi government’s Odd-even road rationing scheme, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying he was getting reports that people were following it nearly 100 per cent.
The anti-pollution measure kicked in from 8 am in Delhi and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged people to follow the scheme for the sake of their family and children.
Kejriwal carpooled with Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Kumar Jain and Labour Minister Gopal Rai to reach the Delhi Secretariat. While Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia rode a bicycle from his residence, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot travelled in his OSD’S car to reach the secretariat.
“I am getting reports that people are following it nearly 100 per cent and only a few challans have been issued. I thank Delhiites for their cooperation. Recently, we defeated dengue and it is now time to control pollution in the national capital,” Kejriwal said.
Responding to questions over deployment of less traffic police personnel on roads, he said they should back the initiative and if the need arose, he would talk to the lieutenant governor about it.
Gahlot said that he was on Delhi roads for two hours and he was happy that basic compliance was being done. “Most of the vehicles are even numbers. I thank all Delhiites for their cooperation,” he said.
Under the scheme, apart from exempted categories, only those non-transport fourwheeled vehicles will ply on the roads which have registration numbers ending with an even digit.
“Namaste Delhi, Odd-even is starting from today to reduce pollution. Please do follow it for yourself, your family, kids and your breath. Share cars. It will strengthen friendship, form relations, save petrol and pollution,” Kejriwal said in an early morning tweet in Hindi.
He also appealed to auto and taxi drivers not to overcharge commuters and urged them to take part in the scheme.
Violations of the Odd-even rule will invite a fine of Rs 4,000. Over 600 teams of Delhi Traffic Police and the transport and revenue departments have been deployed for a strict implementation of the scheme across the city. Rohit Rai (27), a senior creative designer working for an MNC in Gurgaon, said that he had to travel to his office in metro as his car number ended in an odd digit. “As I live in Ghaziabad, it is more convenient for me to drive my car to work, but due to increasing pollution, it is also our responsibility to make this city clean,” he said.
Under the scheme, which will be implemented from 8 am to 8 pm till November 15, nontransport four-wheeled vehicles with registration numbers ending with an odd digit (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) will not be allowed on the roads on November 4, 6, 8, 12 and 14.
Similarly, vehicles with registration numbers ending with an even digit (0, 2, 4, 6, 8) will not be allowed on the roads on November 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15.
The Delhi Traffic Police on Monday issued 233 challans to the violators. Delhi police had identified 200 traffic points to implement odd and even scheme of plying of person four-wheeler motor vehicles as per GNCT notification. This has been done in coordination with the transport department also. Challan was done on the spot through E-challan system.