Starting January 1, the new traffic restrictions, in place from 8am to 8pm every day except Sunday, allow cars with odd-numbered licence plates to drive on odd-numbered dates and those with even-numbered plates on the others.
As the Delhi government gets ready to test its new traffic restrictions for the capital, it has run into a roadblock. Nearly 40 officers, authorized to fine residents caught violating the new rules, are not reporting for today's pilot.
The officers are Senior District Magistrates or SDMs and are on "mass leave" along with nearly 200 other bureaucrats who are protesting against the suspension of two officers by the government of Arvind Kejriwal for refusing to sign off on a decision taken by his cabinet. Civil service officers say the state government does not have the authority to suspend officers. Their stand has been supported by the union government which has clashed repeatedly with Mr Kejriwal, accusing him of exercising powers he does not have.
Starting tomorrow, the new traffic restrictions, in place from 8am to 8pm every day except Sunday, allow cars with odd-numbered licence plates to drive on odd-numbered dates and those with even-numbered plates on the others. Traffic cops will be monitoring drivers and issuing fines, but they were to be flanked by senior district magistrates. Transport Minister Gopal Rai said the clash with bureaucrats will not impact the odd-even trial, stressing that nearly 10,000 volunteers will help monitor traffic.
Private cars will be banned from the roads on alternate days from tomorrow as part of a slew of measures aimed at reducing smog levels that include shutting some coal-fired power plants and vacuuming roads to reduce dust.
The Delhi government announced the scheme after a court ordered authorities to tackle pollution levels more than 10 times the World Health Organization's safe limits.