Odd-even scheme: Women, CNG cars, bikes likely to be exempted

Women drivers and CNG-certified vehicles are likely to be given exemption from Delhi government's ambitious odd-even scheme coming into force from January 1 in the national capital.

During the 15-day trial, motorcycles and emergency vehicles including ambulance, PCR, fire tenders, will also not come under the ambit of road-rationing experiment. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will announce the blue print of the odd-even scheme tomorrow which aims to prevent rising pollution in the city.

"Women drivers will be exempted under the scheme but they will be penalised if any male member is travelling along. Women drivers travelling only with female members will also not be considered a violation," sources said. They said that according to the plan, owners of CNG-fitted cars will need to show prescribed stickers.

Violation of the odd-even rule will attract a penalty of Rs 2,000. "Vehicles from other states entering Delhi will also come under the ambit of odd-even scheme. Government has also given an exemption to bikes from its ambitious plan," they also said.

Earlier this month, Kejriwal had announced that he, his ministers and all government officials will follow odd-even scheme.

To curb rising pollution level in the national capital, the Delhi government has decided to introduce odd-even scheme to be implemented starting from January 1. A trial of the scheme will run till January 15.

According to the government's plan, it will run 6,000 additional buses to accommodate numbers of passengers after the implementation of odd-even scheme. Nearly 10 lakh private cars will daily stay off Delhi roads once the odd-even formula is enforced with drastic reduction in traffic flow expected to significantly reduce the high-level of pollution in the city.

There are over 19 lakh private four-wheelers registered in Delhi and nearly half of these will go off the roads with the implementation of AAP government's ambitious odd-even formula.