New Delhi: Delhi government is all set to roll out its ambitious odd-even scheme on Friday and final touches are being given to preparations ahead of its first such road-rationing experiment.
Transport minister Gopal Rai on Thursday appealed to Delhiites to make the scheme a success as the move will clear the city's polluted air for children, and said despite the alleged "conspiracy" by the BJP, it will be "successful".
Under the scheme, private cars having odd registration numbers will be allowed to ply on odd dates and those with even numbers on even dates.
To send a strong message to people, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet ministers will carpool to work and use public transport with the start of the odd-even scheme that will restrict movement of private cars on Delhi's roads for 15 days from Friday.
Kejriwal will share his car with transport minister Gopal Rai and PWD minister Satyendar Jain while environment minister Imran Hussain and social welfare minister Sandeep Kumar will take an auto and a bus, respectively, to Delhi secretariat.
Kejriwal, Jain and Kumar live in North Delhi's Civil Line area.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia will go to work in an odd-numbered car. Tourism minister Kapil Mishra will ride a bike to office.
Kejriwal had recently said he and his cabinet ministers will carpool to work and follow the rules of the odd-even scheme.
Thousands of civil defence volunteers will be deployed to assist the traffic police, enforcement teams of Delhi government's transport department and authorized sub-divisional magistrates, to implement the scheme which will kick in at 8am on Friday.
Besides, pressing into service 3,000 additional buses, the government has issued two helplines - 011-42400400 and 011-41400400 - for people to register their complaints and suggestion in connection with the scheme.
200 teams of Delhi traffic Police, 66 enforcement teams of transport department and 40 teams of sub-divisional magistrates will be deployed from Jan 1 to ensure strict implementation of the scheme.
As per the traffic restriction plan, odd-numbered cars will be allowed to run on odd dates while even-numbered vehicles can only ply on even dates.
Motorists will have to cough up Rs 2,000 for violating odd-even rules. Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi appreciated the Arvind Kejriwal government's ambitious plan and assured "100 per cent commitment" in its strict implementation.
