Delhi government won’t extend odd-even scheme beyond Jan 15

Rai said news reports saying that Delhi may extend the scheme were not true. There will be a review of the scheme after its trial is over, the minister said. 

Earlier on Friday, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the Delhi government, defended the scheme saying there is “a definite positive effect” and it “may be continued after this two weeks (planned 15 days) period”.

The scheme, which began on January 1, allows even numbered four wheeled vehicles on even numbered dates and vice-versa.

Seeking to promote cycling in the national Capital, the Delhi government further added on Saturday that it will provide subsidy on purchase of cycles, from the money collected as challans during the odd-even scheme’s implementation period.

Transport minister Gopal Rai said that once the car-rationing pilot plan is wrapped up, the government will constitute a committee to work out further modalities of the proposed idea.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the Coordination Committee on the odd-even scheme, chaired by Rai.

“We have decided to give subsidy on purchase of cycles using the money collected through challans for odd-even violations, to promote cycling in the national Capital. The government’s move is aimed at motivating people to use cycles as part of its drive of making Delhi pollution-free,” he said.

Under the road-rationing scheme implemented on January 1, one has to cough up Rs 2,000 for violating the vehicle-restriction rules.

From January 1 to 8, traffic police, transport and revenue departments have issued 5,893 challans for the violations so far. The transport minister also appealed to Delhiites to use bicycles for their daily-needs instead of using bikes in their colonies and said that government will build cycle tracks and stands on roads.

After the end of the odd-even scheme, we will expedite the work of promoting cycling in Delhi. The penalty amount collected through violation of odd-even rules will be utilised to give subsidy to those who want to buy cycles, Rai said.