No check on entry of cars with wrong numbers at city’s borders

GURGAON: It may have got off to a decent start in the national capital, but there was hardly any enforcement of the oddeven rule at Delhi's borders with Gurgaon and Noida.
In the Millennium City, a number of even-numbered cars were spotted heading to Delhi. Possibly, some thought it worth taking the risk, figuring there might not be enough traffic cops on the roads to implement the policy. They were right about the traffic officials. There were none at the three entry points into Gurgaon from Delhi — Sirhaul, on NH-8, Ayanagar on Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, and Kapashera on the Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road.

However, from 7am, the only people seen manning the aforesaid points were volunteers from the Civil Defence (south district). Sporting fluorescent yellow jackets, Fateh Singh and his team of four were at hand to keep an eye on even-numbered cars crossing into Delhi at Ayanagar. Unsurprisingly, they were given short shrift by vehicles who had no plans of slowing down. A few swanky even-numbered sedans and SUVs sped by arrogantly, unmindful of the volunteers.

"We don't have the power to stop, impound or challan vehicles that shouldn't be plying on the roads today — only a traffic inspector has that power," said Fateh Singh. "All we can do is to stop those cars and point out to the drivers the error of their ways. We'll give them a rose and request them, in future, to keep in mind the new rules," he added.

The sub-divisional magistrate (Mehrauli) dropped in at the Ayanagar border point around 10 am. Onkar Marathe came to distribute kit, placards and pamphlets to the volunteers. Marathe said traffic cops and a team from the transport department would be reaching soon, though no one had come by 11am. Clearly, New Year's eve had left the city's traffic police stretched.

Meanwhile, the city's auto drivers, expecting to cash in on the edd-even chaos, were left disappointed. On the day, Gurgaon saw very low footfall of the floating population.

Though at Delhi-Noida border, both traffic policemen and volunteers of the Delhi Civil Defence were deployed, enforcement officials did not challan people who entered the national capital on evennumber cars, at the entry gate, while volunteers greeted the violators with roses and urged them to follow traffic rules.
Officials told TOIthat they have been ordered to not issue challans to violators at the entry gate to avoid traffic chaos. Some people were seen sharing a cab for commuting from Noida to Delhi on Friday.sports