The Delhi government said odd and even number vehicles will ply on alternate days in the city from January 1 – a move which drew flak far and wide.
The decision, taken at a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, will not apply to CNG-driven buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws but will also cover vehicles entering Delhi from other states.
The moves comes a day after the Delhi High Court likened the national capital to a gas chamber and sought immediate action from the central and Delhi governments.
The sweeping move – like the one taken in Beijing in 2013 – will apply to a large bulk of the some 90 lakh vehicles registered in Delhi, where about 1,500 new vehicles are added every day.
A city has to try something new. The measures is for the good of the people.
All the modalities have been worked out and there will be a review meeting on December 8.
Delhi Transport Corporation will have to press more buses into services which could be done by hiring more vehicles.
People have to be encouraged to use public transport, leaving the provisions of penalty unclear.
Besides, the government will shut down south Delhi’s coal-based Badarpur power plant, one of the coal-based plants of the NTPC.
A web-based app will be launched enabling residents to report about polluting vehicles burning of leaves in the capital.
Delhi’s vehicular population – which cause choking jams on all weekdays – includes some 27 lakh cars.
When air quality index ranges between 301 and 400, the air is said to cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.
Experts said before taking this decision there was need to strengthen public transport first.
Implementation of this policy is going to put extreme lot of pressure on both the government and the car drivers. When we do not have a strong public transport system, how can we expect everyone to adhere to this.
In October, the National Green Tribunal announced an “Environment Tax” or “Green Tax” on commercial vehicles entering the city.
The Delhi High Court later ordered all private radio taxis to switch over to compressed natural gas (CNG) before March 1, 2016 if they desired to operate in the capital.
