Amid a sharp dip in air quality in Delhi and surrounding regions, the odd-even vehicle rationing scheme is set to come into effect in the national capital from Monday.
The scheme applies to private cars and will be applicable from 4 to 15 November from 8 am to 8 pm. The rule will not be enforced on Sundays. Cars with numbers ending in an odd digit are allowed to ply on odd dates of the month and those with even digits ply on even dates.
Representational image. Reuters
The scheme, introduced to combat the spike in air pollution, will be implemented for the third time in Delhi, after January and April 2016.
Exemptions
Two wheelers, vehicles carrying children in school uniform, people with disabilities, women driving alone, with other women or with children younger than 12 years and people travelling due to a medical emergency.
Commercial vehicles, including buses and cabs, running on CNG are exempted from the scheme. However, private CNG vehicles will not be exempted.
Among the VIPs exempted are the vehicles of the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India, Speakers of the Lok Sabha, Union ministers, leaders of the Opposition of both the Houses, state governors, Supreme Court judges, judges of High Court, chairman of the UPSC, Chief Election Commissioners, the CAG, deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha and deputy speaker of Lok Sabha, the Lieutenant-General of Delhi, and members of the Lokayukta.
Vehicles of Defence and Enforcement authorities will also be exempt.
Penalty
The fine for violating the scheme will be Rs 4,000. It has been increased this time as compared to the previous editions of the odd-even rule, when the penalty was Rs 2,000.
Around 300 traffic inspectors and assistant traffic inspectors (ATI) will be deployed in two shifts during the odd-even drive. The ATIs and revenue department officials will issue challans to the violators of the scheme as well as ensure proper enforcement of the schemes at the 200 locations.
Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), tehsildars, traffic police, transport department, and assistant traffic inspector teams will be able to levy fines on the violators this year.
Government office timings
Of the 42 government offices, 21 will work from 9.30 am to 6 pm, while the timing for others will be 10.30 am to 7 pm.
According to PTI, departments like municipal corporations of Delhi, transport, directorate of education, higher education, irrigation and flood control, state election commission, information and publicity, excise and urban development will start at 10.30 am.
Alternative modes of transport
Both Ola and Uber have said they will not impose surge pricing on customers in the scheme’s duration.
Auto rickshaw drivers are being asked to go by the meter prices when odd-even scheme will be rolled out, said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
As many as 2,000 additional buses will be deployed on roads. There are currently over 5,600 public transport buses run by DTC and DIMTS. However, the experts have said that over 11,000 public transport buses are needed to bear the current load of commuters, according to PTI.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will conduct 61 additional trips and a total of 5,100 trips through 294 trains, and will display electronic messages on the odd-even scheme at various metro stations. "To ensure the smooth functioning of all the metro lines and trains, 35 teams will be deployed at all the major metro stations,” a DMRC statement said.
The Signature Bridge, which connects Wazirabad to East Delhi, will remain closed from November 5 to 14 when the odd-even scheme will be rolled out, according to Livemint.
With inputs from PTI
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