5.12.15

Of Odds & Evens....



The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government announced a radical move to clear the air in one of the world's most polluted cities by restricting the number of cars on roads from January 1, the first time an Indian city will attempt such a move. It will do so by allowing cars with odd and even licence plates to run on alternate days. The move, which came a day after Delhi High Court said the city was a “gas chamber“, didn't meet with complete support of police chief BS Bassi, who said he wasn't consulted. Delhi Chief Secretary KK Sharma, who announced the move at the state assembly on Friday evening, said details would be hammered out at a review meeting chaired by Kejriwal on December 8. The plan will be readied after feedback from Delhi Police and others, he said.
Sharma said the Delhi Transport Corp. would be asked to run more services as will Delhi Metro Rail Corp. to ensure that alternative arrangements are in place. The government is also looking at making use of school buses that are idle after carrying children to and from their institutions.
“There are more such buses in Delhi. In addition to that, transport department and DTC will see that they will hire more vehicles, so that when this odd and even thing starts, during that period, our transport department puts more buses into operation in Delhi,“ he said.
Key to the move's success will be its enforcement by the Delhi Traffic Police, experts said. The relationship between Bassi's force and the Kejriwal government has always been tense, in the context of the confrontation that the latter has been having with the Centre and Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung.That's largely because, unlike other states, Delhi Police comes under the control of the union home ministry. Friday saw another skirmish break out as Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party accused Bassi of issuing threats over corruption allegations against the police chief.
Delhi Police Commissioner Bassi said the alternate day plan will create problems for commuters and the government first needed to improve the public transport network.“I am yet to see the order of the Delhi government and will forward the proposal to the traffic department before making a comment,“ he said.
Anuradha Shukla, senior principal scientist at the Central Road Research Institute, said a piecemeal approach wouldn't help much, especially in the absence of a robust public transport system with last-mile connectivity. “While such a move may force people to car pool and result in decongestion of certain roads, vehicles are not the only problem as far as Delhi's air pollution is concerned. Biomass burning in and around Delhi in the winters will only increase and further deteriorate air quality. Trucks also continue to come in. So this is a more short-sighted and piecemeal approach,“ Shukla said. “A more coordinated and well thought-out plan with an integrated transport system, pedestrian walkways, bicycle lanes -all this needs to be brought in for what we are trying to achieve.“
Also left unaddressed is the need to discuss the matter with neighbouring states, parts of which form the bigger National Capital Region, experts said. Millions of commuters travel across state borders every day, many of them in cars.
Responding to senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai's concern that public transport was not ready for halving of cars overnight, Kejriwal tweeted, “I agree. But something urgent needed to be done in view of emergency situation. Let's assess after trying for a few days.“


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