The policy will see even number cars plying on roads one day and odd numbers plying on the other, helping traffic and pollution levels low in the city.
You know your city has a pollution problem when you start relating it with concentration camps or in this case a gas chamber. While Beijing was the forerunner as the most polluted city in the world, the baton has now been passed on to Delhi that is at now showing alarming levels of air pollution. With an immediate need to bring down CO2 emissions, the Delhi government has suggested a unique proposal wherein even number vehicles will be allowed to ply on roads on alternate days.
As per the Delhi government’s proposal, private cars with even numbers 0,2,4,6,8 will by allowed on roads on alternate days; while cars with odd numbers 1,3,5,7,9 will be allowed on other days. The said rule however, will not apply to public vehicles, CNG driven buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws, but will include vehicles coming from other states to the national capital. Now, while this may seem like a fool proof idea at some level, it does have its own set of flaws.
Similar concepts have been proposed previously in other Indian cities as well but were never brought into effect. There is no clear direction either if the government plans to offer better transportation options for those not using personal vehicles and remains a big problem for those travelling on a daily basis to places like Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad among others from central Delhi that need to use cars on a daily basis not only because of the distance but the safety aspect as well.
Further, there is no clarity on how the rule will affect app/radio based cab services and tourist vehicles that clock a hefty number of kilometres every day. Clearly, the state government wants to be thoughtful about curbing pollution in the city but with little thought gone, it will only be creating a bigger mess out of the problem. The proposed plan will come into effect from January 2016 but there is no timeline as to when the government will be lifting the curtain.
While we see little practicality in the Delhi government’s proposal, there are other ways too for curbing pollution in your city. It is better if you opt to walk instead of taking your vehicle over short distances. The cycling trend is gaining ground and clearly you should be a part of it. For the corporate professionals, car pooling is and will always be a viable solution. On the government’s end, more subsidies for EV and hybrid cars will be encouraging. Have any ideas of your own to curb pollution? Do share it with us and lets make sure the pollution levels go down in the interest of a greener future.
