No odd-even formula on Sundays, Delhi govt to allow all cars on streets

All cars will be allowed to run on Sundays, the AAP government said on Monday, adding that it is the responsibility of the Delhi Police to implement the car rationing formula to cut air pollution in the national capital.

Delhi home minister Satyendra Jain said the government has started a series of meetings to roll out the strategy on the issue and DMRC will also be asked to increase its working hours to accommodate a huge crowd of passengers.

As per chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plan, odd-numbered cars will be allowed to ply on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while even-numbered vehicles will run on the other days -- Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The government will only allow emergency vehicles like PCR vans, fire tenders and ambulances on the roads of the national capital on all days.

“We will allow odd and even numbered vehicles on Sunday, as there is no heavy traffic on the capital’s roads on that day. We have enough time to make a strategy on the implementation of odd and even formula,” Jain, who is also the health and PWD minister, said.

Asked about the Delhi Police not being informed before introducing the even and odd formula, Jain said: “Police is a part of government and they (police) are not the government. It is their responsibility (Delhi Police) to implement the law enacted by the government.”

The minister said that the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Cluster have been asked to increase the frequency of their buses by 20%.

“Besides, Metro will also be asked to increase their working hours so that people don’t have to face problem while using public transport. If we increase public transport by 20 per cent, there will be no problem for people,” he said.

Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Saturday, Kejriwal had said the government would discontinue traffic rationing move if people faced problems.

On December 4, the AAP government had come out with a plan of restricting private vehicles bearing odd and even registration numbers to alternate days from January 1 in the national capital.