For some, paying Rs 2,000 fine cheaper than taking cab

NEW DELHI: Want to beat the system even after paying the Rs 2,000 fine for violating the odd-even traffic arrangement in place in the capital rom Friday? A close look at numbers shows how a drive across the NCR can still prove cost-effective even if you are booked for driving a car with numberplates that don't adhere to the driving requirements of the day . “The fine may seem steep at Rs 2,000, but if you look at the taxi fares that are likely to be hit by the demand going up, I think it would be economical to just pay the fine and drive your car,“ says Bharat Dharker. The businessman has explored “all“ avenues and has the numbers to back his claim.

Dharker lives in Punjabi Bagh in west Delhi, and has a factory in Faridabad outside the city limits that he drives and returns from dur ing peak traffic hours. During non-peak hours, the return fare for this distance on any taxi aggregating service is Rs 1,000-1,300. Surge pricing during peak hours increases this figure three or four times.

“I'm expecting that the demand will be higher during the odd-even fortnight, which means higher rates will be applicable through the day,“ says the canny Dharker. “My daily travel bill could touch a minimum of Rs 3,000 on days that I don't drive my vehicle, so it frankly makes more economic sense to pay Rs 2,000 and add to it the cost of petrol.“

Number crunching show the economic sense in going rogue. For instance, most taxi aggregating services--Ola, Uber or Meru Genie--would charge Rs 500-600 for a non-peak hour, one-way trip from Dwarka Sector 22 to Noida Sector 18. During peak hours, however, the fare would shoot upwards 3-5 times due to surge pricing. This translates into a potential return fare of at least Rs 2,400 if you travel one way during non-peak hours.

There are many who have sat down and done the maths, and if they find there is no option, well, the Rs 2,000 fine doesn't sound all that bad.