Odd-Even 2.0: First weekday witnesses huge traffic jams

Heavy traffic was witnessed at various stretches such as Vikas Marg to ITO, UP Link Road to Akshardham, Akshardham to Bhairon Marg, Azadpur, South Extension and the C-Hexagon near India Gate as the hours progressed.

“Despite the odd-even scheme, it took me the same amount of time to reach ITO from Laxmi Nagar as it would without the scheme. The volume of traffic is visibly the same. So is the level of congestion and time spent stuck at a single red light signal,” said a motorist, Mohit Verma.

Meanwhile, on Monday evening, breakdown of several DTC buses, ongoing work of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and Metro projects caused obstruction in traffic in several places in the city. Incidents of bus breakdown were reported in the carriageway from Raja Garden to Punjabi Bagh, Civic Centre to Connaught Place and from Safdarjung Hospital to Dhaula Kuan.

Traffic obstruction was reported in the carriageway from Ashram to Sarai Kale Khan due to a DJB project at Kilokri Red Light.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has deployed district magistrates, sub-divisional magistrates, additional district magistrates and tehsildars to prosecute violators of the odd-even rule. Besides, 210 teams of enforcement wing of the Transport Department and 2,000 traffic police personnel have been deployed on the Capital’s roads to prosecute errant drivers. Several parents complained of severe inconvenience while dropping their children off to schools. Though the Delhi government has exempted males under the odd-even scheme if they are accompanied by children wearing school uniform, they have not been exempted while returning alone, landing them in trouble.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee reported that PM 2.5 levels had fallen to less than 60 – the permissible limit – in 42 of the 74 locations where it monitored pollution levels.

Delhi Traffic Police had fined 256 erring motorists till 8 pm. The Transport Department had fined another 454 motorists till 2 pm. 

People were fined Rs 2,000 for violating the odd-even scheme, Rs 1,000 for not having insurance papers for one’s car and Rs 500 for not carrying a driver’s licence. 

The Delhi Metro, though, ran smoothly on Monday.