Third phase of road rationing only after public consultation: Rai

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government will seek public opinion on when to start the third round of odd-even scheme once the second phase of 15-day road-rationing plan is wrapped up on April 30, transport minister Gopal Rai said on Monday.

After the first phase of oddeven scheme, the Delhi government had sought people’s suggestion on when it should introduce its second phase, aimed at tackling air pollution in the national capital.

“The second phase of the scheme has so far been a success as per reports. We have decided to seek public opinion on the introduction of the third phase through a dedicated website, email ids, phones and messages. Apart from this, we will also seek people’s feedback about their experiences during the second round,” Rai said.

Last week, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the government will seriously consider implementing the road-rationing plan for 15 days every month if the second phase is successful.

Asked about permanent implementation of the scheme, Rai said that it would take the government around one-and-ahalf years to do the same.

“As public transport is not in a good condition, we cannot implement it permanently. We will first have to upgrade public transport. In the next one-and-a-half years, we can consider implementing the scheme for 30 days every month,” he said.

Government has suggested that parents should use carpooling to avoid problems with the authorities.