Public transport plays key role to move Delhi
TRAFFIC POLICE TAKE SOFT APPROACH IN PENALISING VIOLATORS
Contrary to apprehensions, Delhi’s odd-even vehicle formula, which was put through a litmus test when a larger workforce returned to work yesterday after enjoying extended Christmas and new year holidays, has not led to the feared problems so far.
Public transport system came to the rescue of those who were unable to bring out their cars because of the restrictions.
“We managed to operate 7,143 buses Tuesday and had kept 100 buses for emergency. We did not face any problem and buses were not crowded. We are glad that people are following the rule. There were speculations and doubts about what would happen on Monday and Tuesday when all the offices open. Some people feared that public transport may be overcrowded or there may be violations by drivers, but we have not noticed any such thing,” Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai told the Gulf News.
Advisory role
By and large, the Traffic Police yesterday played an advisory role, forcing penalties only when necessary.
“Our objective is not to make people pay Rs 2,000 (Dh110) as penalty and we do not want to hassle those who are not following the rule. I feel 90 per cent people have adopted the odd-even formula without any enforcement and this is the real success for us. The basic idea is to create awareness and make people understand why we need the odd-even car formula. We hope that even after January 15, people would voluntarily use public transport,” S.S. Yadav, Additional Director, Civil Defence, told Gulf News.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been an advocate of carpooling. He told the Gulf News that it is the most practical thing to do under the circumstances. But his long list of exemptions — including single women drivers and VIPs — had drawn criticisms of diluting the project.
Since the pilot plan started, the chief minister has shared vehicle with several of his colleagues. Other ministers have taken to public transport. Transport Minister Rai took a bus and Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia, had used a cycle to reach the secretariat from his Patparganj home.
Kejriwal has thanked Chief Justice, TS Thakur, for voluntarily joining the state government’s odd-even pilot project to counter pollution, under which private vehicles with odd numbers are allowed to ply on odd dates and vice versa. The chief justice is among the VIPs who have been exempted from the odd-even project.