Govt says 'fully prepared' for odd-even 2.0 rollout

Survey stated people are ready for the fresh round

Ahead of the second phase of odd-even car scheme from Friday, the Delhi government said it is fully prepared to roll out the 15-day car curbs, with deployment of more buses, Metro trains and enforcement officials.

Transport Minister Gopal Rai said the government decided to introduce second phase only after seeking a referendum in favour of the drastic car curbs, banning private vehicles on alternate days. Earlier in February, 81% of the over 4 lakh people surveyed by Delhi government said they are ready for a fresh round of the odd-even scheme.

The minister claimed that exemption for cars with schoolchildren on board will cover most of the parents. Referring to a recently conducted study by the government, he said, “85% of fathers drop their kids to schools before going to their offices in morning. But in the afternoons, an equal number of women go out to bring their children back from schools.”

The odd-even formula for rationing of road space has a host of exemptions, including women drivers, two-wheelers, CNG vehicles and cars with kids in school uniform. But male parents will face problems when they travel back alone after dropping off their kids.

“An enforcement plan has been chalked out under which the city has been divided into 11 zones for the implementation of the scheme. Each zone will have 10 sectors. One mobile enforcement team will operate in each sector,” he told reporters here.

He said a 20-member Special Task Force has been set up to look into matters reported by the mobile teams.

According to Rai, the enforcement teams have 10 focus areas: near ISBTs, railway stations, major traffic intersections, trade centres, district courts, city borders, health institutions, education institutions, IGI Airport and crowded office buildings. Violation of the odd-even rules will attract a fine of Rs 2,000. 

Two thousand traffic personnel, 580 enforcement officials of transport department and over 5,000 civil defence volunteers will be deployed on the roads during the 15-day road rationing drive. The traffic department has identified 200 intersections in the city where their personnel will be deployed in teams of four-five, depending upon the volume of traffic.

Civil defence volunteers will be deployed at 205 strategic points in the national capital to ensure implementation of the scheme. In the first phase of odd-even scheme in January, around 4,000 such volunteers were positioned at the traffic intersections.

According to the Transport Minister, 321 wardens will ensure coordination between volunteers and the government.