Poocho app to provide access to autorickshaws and taxis will be launched December 22
Poocho app to provide access to autorickshaws and taxis will be launched December 22
The Aam Aadmi Party government, led by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, is mulling to shut schools in the national Capital during the 15-day trial period of the proposed restrictions on the plying of private vehicles from January 1.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Friday that the AAP government has received a proposal to close schools from January 1 to January 15 and, if needed, the government will announce holidays.
He said that children are most affected due to rising pollution and the government will implement the odd-even formula with their involvement. “We have receiv-ed a proposal to shut schools (between January 1 and 15). We are considering the proposal and, if needed, the government will announce a holiday for all sch-ools,” Mr Sisodia said.
A senior government official said all government and private schools close for winter holidays in the last week of December till the first week of January. If the education department declares a 15-day break, the students’ studies will not be affected, he claimed.
“Principals and teachers have to conduct a drive to make the students aware about the sudden increase in pollution levels. Children are the biggest stakeholders as 26 lakh students study in schools and the policy of odd-even formula will be made with their involvement,” Mr Sisodia said. He added that people are being affected due to rising pollution, but children are the most affected and “we all are concerned about this.”
City transport minister Gopal Rai said on Friday that Poocho app, which will provide access to autorickshaws and taxis, will be launched on December 22, when a car-free day will be org-anised on Vikas Marg in East Delhi’s Lakshmi Nagar area. The minister held a meeting with representatives of city’s auto and taxi unions to roll out a plan so that people won’t have to face problems in hiring taxis and autorickshaws from January 1 to 15. There are around 80,000 autorickshaws and 30,000 taxis plying in the national capital.
“Under Poocho app, we will launch two separate apps, one for passengers and another for drivers. The government will run an awareness campaign for drivers of taxis and autos to register themselves before Decemb-er 22. They can send their details on mobile number 9958694311 for their registration,” Mr Rai said.
The minister said that city’s autos and taxis will come under Poocho app which can be downloaded on phones from Google Play store and thereafter, people will have to ensure GPS of their phone is on, and can find out the nearest auto to them through maps. The app will only work on those auto and taxis having global positioning system (GPS), Mr Rai said, adding that around 75 per cent of autorickshaws are GPS-enabled.
“In today’s meeting, we have also asked auto and taxi drivers to be in queue at ‘Halt & Go’ stands so that traffic could not be disturbed on roads,” he said.
