JOIN USAam Aadmi Party’s trade wing on Saturday marched in support of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal government’s odd-even car curbs even as many traders claim that wholesale markets and industrial areas lack connectivity to public transport.
The outfit submitted a memorandum to Delhi CM demanding premium chartered buses and Metro connectivity.
“Pollution and traffic have reduced after implementation of the odd-even car scheme. I think it is in the interest of our health, our future generation,” said Brijesh Goyal, convenor of the AAP trader wing. He and his supporters held placards, asking for reintroduction of the odd-even car formula, as they marched towards the Delhi Secretariat.
The traders’ support, however, comes for a price, according to Goyal. He carried with him a stack of memorandum from different trade associations.
“We are the worst affected from the odd-even formula. Our wholesale bazaars and industrial areas such as Bawana, Okhla, Lawrence Road don’t have Metro facility or direct bus linkages. Give us Metro network and special chartered buses and see how we support the odd-even rule,” he said.
Goyal, who himself is a businessperson, said he mostly relied on Delhi Metro on odd days, since he has two even-numbered cars.
Some of his trade wing friends claimed they carpooled to ITO to participate in the march. The vehicles they came in were draped in big banners, pledging support for the anti-pollution drive of the Delhi government.
The AAP frontal organisation represented motley of trade associations, including not-so-happy transporters. Ravi Kumar, who runs a small transport business, said the government should not embrace a reactionary policy-making.
“Not much has been done to chalk out long term solution. We’re still running on Euro IV, and say that trucks are more polluting. We should think about ushering in Euro VI norms,” he said.
He said due to the burden of green tax and traffic curbs on trucks, the cost of transporting good in and out of Delhi has become expensive.