Odd-even scheme: Govt withdraws decision to slap repeat fines of `2k

Two days ahead of the official launch of the odd-even scheme, the Delhi government on Tuesday decided to withdraw its earlier order to slap repeat fines of Rs 2,000 for each violation by motorists in the course of a day.

The decision was reached at a meeting Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi had with the state’s Transport Minister Gopal Rai.

A gazette notification to this effect has already been issued by the transport department following approval by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.

The odd-even scheme will be rolled out on January 1 initially for a period of 15 days and the Delhi government expects around six lakh vehicles to go off the city roads each day during the period. A trial run of the scheme will be conducted for two hours from 9 am to 11 am on December 31.

Bassi and Rai deliberated at length on how to ensure coordination between Delhi Police and the city government for effective enforcement of the ambitious scheme aimed at significantly reducing air pollution.

Rai said that following a request by the Police Commissioner, the Delhi government  has decided to reverse its earlier decision of slapping fine of Rs 2,000 on offenders each time they are caught violating the scheme during the course of the day.

It was decided that volunteers to be deployed by Delhi government will not act independently and will be attached to the Sub-Divisional Magistrates, traffic police or enforcement wing of the Transport department.

“66 Enforcement teams of the Transport department will be deployed at various places including near the Metro stations, railway stations and hospitals to ensure that auto drivers do not fleece commuters,” said Rai. He said it has been clarified to the representatives of Delhi Police that only civil defence volunteers will be deployed along with NCC and NSS cadres, who will work in close coordination with traffic police and revenue authorities.

Bassi had on Monday said action will be taken against volunteers if they took law into their hands and engage in “vigilantism”.

The meeting, called by Rai at the Delhi Secretariat, lasted for around 45 minutes.