Odd-even Day 2: Metro ridership, challans go up
NEW DELHI: Ridership of Delhi Metro increased by 5.69% on November 4, the first day of the odd-even road rationing drive, compared to October 31, the last working day for which data was available.
Data shared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) stated that as many as 58.36 lakh journeys were performed in its 389-km long network on Monday, when the odd-even drive began.
On Thursday (October 31) the total journeys performed stood at 55.22 lakh. The number for Friday was not provided by DMRC. The figure for Wednesday (October 30) was 56.32 lakh, officials said.
In a statement on Tuesday, DMRC compared the daily average of last week with the total journeys performed on November 4. “The daily average journeys performed in the past week (Mon-fri) were 50.13 lakh. The journeys performed this Monday were 58.36 lakh, making Delhi Metro the most preferred mode of transportation,” it said.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the second day of the odd-even scheme was “a successful one”. “The AQI has also improved significantly since yesterday. Today’s 3 PM data tells that PM 2.5 AQI was 58, the PM 10 AQI has been recorded at 139. The quality of air has improved drastically. The smoke over the capital has also been reducing day by day,” he said.
CHALLANS DOUBLE, GOVT SENDS SMSES
On Tuesday, the second day of the even drive, enforcement agencies issued 562 challans, nearly thrice the number of penalties handed out on Monday (274).
To spread awareness about the rule, the transport department has started sending text message to every registered vehicle owner in the city.“through the SMS, we are informing people about which date on the calendar is suitable for which car, depending on its number,” transport minister Kailash Gahlot said.
Sisodia said the increase in challans on Day 2 was mostly because the enforcement agencies were asked to gradually intensify the crackdown on violators. “Yesterday, since it was the first day, we had asked officials to go soft on violators and make them understand about the rule. We will slowly increase the strictness,” he said.
A senior traffic police officer said towards the second half of the day, many personnel joined the protests outside the police headquarters, demanding action against the lawyers who allegedly attacked their colleagues. Around 4,000 civil defence volunteers were deployed to manage traffic and turn back violators.
CABS AND AUTOS OVERCHARGE
A section of commuters complained on Tuesday that the waiting time for cabs was longer than usual and that surge pricing was imposed during peak hours.
“I had to first wait to get a cab for about 15 minutes. Once they (mobile app-based cab aggregator) booked a cab for me, the final amount which I was charged after my ride was nearly double of what they had shown earlier,” said Sanket Kapoor, who travelled from Mayur Vihar Phase-1 to Karkardooma for work.
Auto and cab drivers, however, said driving was a breeze on city streets not only because there was less congestion on the road, but also because the demand for rides increased significantly. Cab aggregators Ola and Uber did not issue any statement on Tuesday.
Compared to the 6,081 buses that were pressed to service on the first day, on Tuesday, the fleet was marginally expanded. A total of 6,219 buses were run on the second day of the drive.
DIFFERENTLY ABLED
The differently abled, complained that the enforcement agencies were not fully aware about the nitty-gritties of the rule. “I support the odd-even drive, but there is little support from the government to empower drivers with disabilities. The traffic police have no idea whether the disabled are exempted. In a 4 km stretch from Suryanagar-vivek Vihar crossing to my workplace at GTB Hospital, I was stopped twice,” said Dr Satendra Singh, a teacher at UCMS.