In a unique and somewhat controversial move to curb air pollution, the Delhi government, on Friday proposed that private cars with odd or even numbered registration plates be allowed to be driven only on alternate days. The move, if implemented will come into effect from January 1, 2016.
If the proposed move is put into practice, Delhi will become the first Indian city to have such a system in place, second only after Beijing in Asia.
The proposed move is being mulled after the Delhi High Court lambasted the Delhi authorities for the rising levels of air pollution. The court observed that the air pollution in and around Delhi has reached to such alarming levels that living in the city was akin to “living in a gas chamber”.
Also Read: Delhi HC wants to remove diesel driven cabs entirely from NCR
The proposed measure was announced after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called an emergency meeting to address the growing air pollution concern in the city, especially after the court’s remarks. Following the proposals, a meeting of all stakeholders including transport department, traffic police and Delhi Municipal Corporation will be organized to decide on and take further measures to reduce pollution levels in the national capital.
The High Court and the National Green Tribunal or NGT have repeatedly shown concern about the rising pollution levels in the national capital. A workable action plan has been sought to counter the issue, though nothing concrete seems to have come out yet. The Delhi High Court yesterday ordered the authorities to come up with an action plan by 21st December. The court also observed that the plans measures suggested by the city and central government were not comprehensive enough, as they didn’t fix any timelines or responsibilities.
For those who are wondering what this sudden hullabaloo is all about, New Delhi has turned into one of the most polluted cities on the planet. It was officially declared as the most polluted city on the planet by WHO last year. With winters, the situation gets even worse with smog blanketing the entire city giving rise to respiratory diseases.
Does the move to only allow even or odd numbered cars on Delhi streets sound like a logical or implementable solution? What should be done to address the issue according to you? Do share your thoughts, we will share them with all our audience.
This does not seem to be a viable solution at all.
Even if such a law is passed, how will the traffic police keep a tab on the numbers of the cars. It will only give the cops on duty another reason to stop the general public and make quick money.
With so many cars plying on the road, how is it even going to be possible to check the number plates of so many cars.
The first and foremost thing the government should do to tackle the issue of pollution is to reduce congestion on roads by having all the drivers (including me) trained and to have a new more comprehensive driving test in place. Which even existing drivers should take.
If there is disciplined traffic on the roads the congestion can reduce many-fold. I see the people stopping their car on the right most lane to change a punctured tire. Shared cabs drop off passengers in the middle of the road. Buses never seem to stop at the bus-stop. They stop around 50 yards or so from the bus stop, somewhere between the leftmost and middle lane. Vehicles are parked haphazardly on roads.
All this and more causes numerous jams and leading to burning of more fossil fuels thus, leading to an increase in pollution levels.
Moreover, we all are talking about the poor quality of air in Delhi, but no one seems to mention (quantify) how much of it is attributed to vehicles plying on our roads.
No one mentions by how much are we going to reduce the CO2 emissions per day by restricting the number of vehicles plying on the road.
Kejriwal first should improve delhi's public transport system that has forced many families to have car
autos supported by his party does not run on meter or to destination you require
With DTC busses you do not know how much distance they will cover before fainting on road
Metro is turning into goods carriages with passengers
what does a common man do
you take example of situation
majority of delhi goes to work either to Gurgaon or to Noida
do you have DTC busses that run to Gurgaon from delhi covering outer ring road
well I have not seen any, may be 1 or 2
on population of lacks
it was a mistake giving kejriwal a majority in delhi
This might force rich people to opt for 2 cars (1 with Odd and 1 with Even number). This will only result in increased car sale instead of tackling pollution. This seems like a temporary solution which might not help in long run