Enforcement of the odd-even road rationing scheme Monday did not deter movement of people in the national capital as several turned to public transport, car-pooling and cab aggregator services. Only private four-wheeler vehicles with even-ending registration numbers were allowed on the roads Monday from 8 am to 8 pm. Vehicles with odd-ending registration numbers will be allowed on dates 5, 7 ,9 and so forth until the scheme is in place till November 15. While most people appreciated the government’s efforts to control pollution and congestion on the roads through odd-even, some said it might contribute marginally to improving air quality, which has been particularly toxic over the last few days. Amit Sethi and Sanjay Saini, 43-year-olds from South Extension, said they travelled together to work in South Delhi’s R K Puram. Sethi said, “This might have a minimal impact on air quality as the government has given many exemptions. on days when even-number vehicles are allowed, I will use his (Saini’s) car and on odd-vehicle days he can use mine.” Under the scheme, implemented twice in 2016, exemptions have been given to women drivers, commercial vehicles, two-wheelers and e-vehicles. Private CNG vehicles were also exempted previously but have been included this time due to possibility of misuse of the exemption stickers given to vehicle owners. Some questioned the move to bring CNG vehicles under the scheme this time. Anshul Sharma (41), who travels by car from Greater Noida to South Delhi’s Bhikaji Cama Place for work, said: “Instead of including CNG vehicles in the scheme, the government could have carried out random inspections and imposed heavy fines on those found violating rules. I will use public transport on days I cannot drive.” Swapping of cars and car-pooling were the preferred travel options of many commuters. Hem Upreti (34), who has a business in cosmetics, said, “I usually travel to Akshardham in my car. My friend and I will coordinate as he has a vehicle with an ‘odd’ numberplate.” Public transport also proved to be a plausible alternative for some. For the duration of the scheme, an additional 61 Metro trips per day would be made to sustain the anticipated footfall increase. However, regular Metro commuters said they did not see a significant increase in the volume of co-passengers Monday. K S Bisht, who travelled from Ghaziabad’s Vaishali to Connaught Place, said his co-workers, who usually travel to work by car, did not turn to the Metro on Monday. “Some of them have odd-numbered cars and some have even, so they have decided to car-pool. They were aware of which days the exercise would be in effect so they were able to plan accordingly.” Anumita Roy Chowdhury of the Centre for Science and Environment said options like buses and Metro are often the last resort for car users: “People work out a wide variety of alternatives. among which bus and Metro come last in the order. This is actually an argument against waiting for adequate public transport before implementing vehicle-restraint measures. We must push for better public transport facilities but there are a number of intermediate options that people pick and choose from.” Traffic police officers observed that citizens had largely been cooperating with the move and there were less hiccups this time. Sarjeet, a traffic constable outside NDLS’s Paharganj entrance, said, “Its almost 12 pm and I have not issued a single challan. Usually, there would be a huge traffic jam at this point, since it is the railway station, but it has been very smooth. The air also seems a little better today.” Another traffic constable near GTB Nagar Metro station said around four-five violators were let off with a warning.
