Gopal Rai says scheme a success, takes tour

On Day 2 of the scheme, Delhi transport minister Gopla Rai felt that the odd-even policy has woken up Delhiites to a “a new, collective consciousness”, to contribute towards efforts for lowering pollution.

Mr Rai on Saturday said, “Mere rules can not change anything, change of mindset is needed which we aimed at through implementation of odd-even formula. Two days trials show that people of Delhi are ready for it.”

The minister said that government had prepared for implementation of the scheme on day one and now its “responsibility” of the people to ensure that violations do not take place even on Monday.

Regarding questions over the Delhi government’s preparations to ensure proper implementation of the formula on Monday when vehicular traffic and number of commuters is likely to go up significantly, he said that the people of Delhi are ready to follow the rule.

Rebutting charges of the Opposition BJP and Congress that the odd-even formula was launched without adequate preparations, Mr Rai said they were opposing the scheme just for the “sake of opposition”.

“Yesterday (Friday), while heading towards India Gate, I stopped in front of the BJP office and found that there was only one vehicle that violated odd-even formula,” he said.

“There can not be any division over the need to fight pollution to clean the air we breath,” he stated.

Mr Rai, who took a bus ride to take stock of the situation on the roads, said, “Only odd-numbered cars were seen on the road yesterday (Friday) while today (Saturday) only even numbered cars are visible.”

The minister’s bus ride started from Delhi Secret-ariat passed through Ind-raprastha, Nizammudin, Saray Kale Khan, Ashram, Nehru Place, India Gate, finally concluding at the starting point.