Odd-even policy: Delhi echo in Ahmedabad, plan to keep 20% cars off roads

The total number of vehicles registered in Ahmedabad till 2014-15 is 34.21 lakh. (Source: Express Archive)

Against the backdrop of New Delhi implementing the odd-even policy to reduce pollution and congestion on roads, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is planning to initiate a move that would take 20 per cent of vehicles off the roads every day.

According to Municipal Commissioner D Thara, the civic body will keep vehicles off the roads based on the day of the week and the last digit of the car’s registration number. For instance, on Mondays, private vehicles — including two wheelers — with registration numbers ending with 1 or 3 will stay off the roads, Thara explained.

The civic body, which intends to implement the plan in the next three-six months, will rope in the Regional Transport Office as well as the city police for help.

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“There is no other way to limit the number of vehicles on roads, which are already wide enough. The AMC will seek assistance from the RTO to identify vehicles. However, without police and public support, it will not be possible to implement it,” Thara said.

“We are also devising a mechanism wherein designated parking lots would be identified on city roads,” she added.

The AMC has already started a crackdown on illegal parking on the city’s busiest roads and major stretches such as the highway which connects Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. “The corporation has procured 350 locks, which we have started putting on illegally parked vehicles. This will be increased to 10,000 locks in the next one month,” said Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Administration, K L Bachani.

In the last five years, more than 10 lakh vehicles were registered with the RTO. The year 2014-15 witnessed the maximum number of vehicles being registered in Ahmedabad — 2.23 lakh. The total number of vehicles registered till 2014-15 is 34.21 lakh. “Without a mechanism to de-register obsolete vehicles, the figure looks enormous. But we can’t deny that the number of vehicles being registered is increasing,” said Regional Transport Officer Harsh Modi.