On Dussehra, stretch from Red Fort to India Gate will remain 'car free'

With the National Green Tribunal coming down on the government agencies to step up efforts to cap the number of vehicles in NCR to reduce pollution, the Delhi government has taken the first step in this direction and announced October 22 as the ‘car-free day’ on the road stretch between Red Fort and India Gate.

Transport Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said that the government will ensure there is no entry of cars on this stretch on October 22, the day Dussehra is celebrated.

This will be a pilot project. If its is successful, the government plans to implement it on the 22nd of every month on different stretches of the city in an effort to address the problem of traffic congestion and pollution.

“We will ensure that on the 22nd of every month, we observe ‘car-free day’ on different road stretches so that we will be able to observe ‘world car-free day’ across Delhi on September 22 next year," Rai said while addressing experts and other authorities during ‘Congestion and Pollution Free Delhi’ dialogue organised by the government.

Emphasising that the PM 2.5 levels in 447 areas out of 558 tested for air quality in Delhi have crossed the average 60 mark, the minister said a ten-point charter will soon be prepared to curb pollution and decongest Delhi. One of the main points in the charter will be discouraging people from using cars and instead shifting to public transport.

The National Green Tribunal had taken the government to task for failing to control the rising pollution in NCR and had asked it to work towards capping the number of vehicles on Delhi roads.

“It is very difficult to ask the public to stop using cars as they are a part of their lifestyle. We have to make people aware that pollution is poisoning our lungs slowly and have to change their psychology that car is a status symbol. For this, the government on its part has to strengthen the public transportation system first and then encourage the Delhiites to take their cars off the roads at least once a week,” Rai said.

Besides, the transport department will soon select five traffic points where congestion is high and conduct a study on the reasons for it. After these points are made “traffic-free” the department will then implement the solution to other such areas.

Expressing concern on work getting stalled due to multiplicity of agencies, Rai appealed to the members of PWD, Environment, and Traffic departments to not pass the buck on one another and work in tandem.

An awareness campaign will soon be launched and suggestions have already been invited from the people on its name at [e-mail].

Rai said that the government will increase the number of Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUC) centres from the existing around 650 to 2,000-3,000.