The odd-even car rationing scheme had reduced vehicular pollution by 40 per cent, the government had said last time.
Highlights
- Odd-even can't be permanent, need a robust transport system: Delhi CM
- Cars with children in uniform to be exempted, tough to implement, says CM
- Second run of odd-even scheme to begin on April 15
The Delhi government is "seriously" considering a proposal to enforce the odd-even scheme for 15 days every month, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today.
Addressing a press conference, he said a fortnight every month was being thought of since it cannot be made permanent in the absence of a robust public transport system.
The odd-even scheme to allow cars with odd and even numbers on alternate days, which returns in the city on April 15, leaves cars carrying children in school uniform out of its ambit - the only tweak in the blueprint for its implementation when compared to the first phase.
The list of exemptions include cars carrying VIPs, those running on CNG, vehicles being driven by women, cases of medical emergency and cars carrying disabled persons, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told a press conference here.
Mr Kejriwal admitted that implementing the exemption to cars carrying children in school uniform would be tricky as not all such vehicles stay behind to bring students back from school.
Arvind Kejriwal announced the rules for the second run of the odd-even scheme in Delhi due from April 15. (PTI photo)
"There are two types in this case. In one case, a vehicle drops a child to school, stays put, and brings him back.
"But there are cases where a child may not be in the car on one side of the journey. It will cause a little trouble," Mr Kejriwal said.
Mr Kejriwal's press conference was also briefly interrupted when a political activist
threw a shoe at the Chief Minister alleging irregularities in the government's CNG vehicle certification programme.
The odd-even scheme was was first introduced in the first 15 days of the year mostly to positive responses due to unclogged roads and a dip in pollution.
The scheme had been introduced in response to a the Delhi High Court, pulling up the government over rising pollution in the city and saying that living in national capital was "
like living in a gas chamber".