Exuding confidence, Delhi transport minister Gopal Rai on Friday said that the Aam Aadmi Party government’s ambitious odd-even vehicle scheme will run its full trial-period length of 15 days and thereafter a final decision on formulating a policy to reduce pollution in the city will be taken.
“The scheme will continue for 15 days. Till January 15, we will collect data and thereafter do a proper analysis and take a decision (on formulation of policy to reduce pollution),” Mr Rai said.
He claimed that city’s air quality would have been “worse” had there been no odd-even scheme in place today. “The world, including Delhi, has felt the impact of the odd-even plan,” he said.
The fate of the scheme will be decided on January 11 by the Delhi high court, which on Friday reserved its order on various pleas challenging it. Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the Delhi government, submitted that the capital is piloting its first ever emergency action to reduce peak pollution level.
“This is consistent with global best practice. Vehicles that are second highest emitters in the city are responsible for very high exposure and health impacts. “The first few days of the program have already demonstrated that peak pollution levels are lower than the normal smog peaks of the season despite the adverse weather conditions,” Mr Salve said. Meanwhile, as many as 720 people were fined on Friday for violating the car-rationing scheme.
On the eighth day of implementing the scheme, police said they have penalised 136 motorists for violating the vehicular restriction norms as against Thursday’s figure of 95. The enforcement teams of the government’s transport department fined around 46 motorists, while revenue department booked 538 people.
