Delhi government to field officials for odd-even's implementation

NEW DELHI: To ensure strict compliance with the odd-even road rationing scheme on Monday, the first full working day of the plan, Delhi government will field all district magistrates, SDMs, ADMs and tehsildars on roads.

The government has currently deployed 210 teams of enforcement wing of Transport Department to prosecute the violators. Besides, 2,000 traffic police personnel have also been deployed on roads to tackle the offenders.

The actual impact of the scheme will be known on Monday when schools and offices will re-open after an extended weekend. A one-day strike called by a section of taxi and auto unions might compound the hardship of commuters.

"As Monday will be the first working day after odd-even scheme was implemented, government will deploy DM, SDMs, ADMs and tehsildars to ensure implementation of the odd-even scheme on April 18," Transport Minister Gopal Rai told reporters.

DM and SDMs will be given powers by the Divisional Commissioner to ensure strict compliance of the odd-even scheme.

The Transport Department of Delhi government had yesterday challaned 427 violators while Traffic Police fined 884 motorists.

Asked about heightened crackdown on violators though the first day of the scheme, rolled out on Ram Navami, was a public holiday, he clarified that 50 per cent of violators came from neighbouring states as they did not know about the scheme.

"In view of this, we will install hoardings at all border points educating the motorists about the fortnight-long implementation of the scheme in Delhi," he said.

The transport minister claimed that the people of Delhi are emphasising on self-preparation to follow the road- rationing plan and said parents going to pick up their wards after school hours are facing no problems due to the scheme.

"I today visited several schools where I was told by the management that parents who used to come to pick up their children from school have starting carpooling.

"Besides, I was also told that a car carrying one student earlier was today having three-four students," Rai said.

The government had conceded that it has not been able to find a solution to the problem of cars going to pick up children after school hours during the scheme. Kejriwal had advised parents to go for car pooling.

Rai said on the first day of the scheme, about 16.8 lakh commuters travelled on buses of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).