The Delhi government is also contemplating raising the age limit of children allowed to travel in cars and other vehicles during the scheme from 12 years to 18 years. Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal had asked the transport minister Tuesday to consider this.
Mr Gopal Rai said the Delhi Transport Corporation had told all private schools that use DTC buses that after it ferries students to school, all the buses will have to be on the road from 8 am onwards to carry other passengers.
The transport minister said the government has decided to organise a “Picnic for Odd-Even” at India Gate on April 13, when schoolchildren will participate in a number of activities relating to the scheme.
The DTC has so far registered 400 private contract carriage buses under the “Paryavaran Bus Seva”, which are given a special permit by the government to carry passengers during the odd-even scheme to accommodate the extra rush of people. “Conductors of Paryavaran Bus Seva have been directed to create awareness among the commuters waiting for buses about this service so that more people can use it,” he added.
He also said a meeting of all MLAs and district magistrates has been called to discuss the scheme on Thursday. “On April 8, ex-servicemen, who have been hired by the enforcement wing of the transport department, will carry out a parade, and on April 12, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will administer the oath to city students at a school as he had done before the first phase of the odd-even scheme,” the minister added.
Under the odd-even formula, vehicles with odd number plates will be allowed to ply on odd dates and those with even registration numbers on even dates. The aim is to cut the number of vehicles on Delhi’s otherwise choked roads in order to curb air pollution. The traffic curbs will not be applicable on Sundays.
A senior official said that government may consider to exempt senior citizens from the second phase of odd-even scheme following their demands in this regard. Before implementation of the first round of the scheme, senior citizens had approached the government to keep them out of the ambit of the scheme.
