New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday that cars carrying patients or being driven by single women will be exempted under the proposed scheme of things to limit cars with odd and even numbers on alternate days.
Speaking after meeting union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Arvind Kejriwal said he received a positive response from the central government over the Delhi government's traffic controlling scheme.
“He (Rajnath Singh) said the central government and Delhi Police will cooperate,” Kejriwal told reporters after the meeting.
In a meeting that lasted around 40 minutes in North Block, Kejriwal apprised Singh of details of the proposed restrictions for plying of private vehicles. The chief minister later described Singh's response as "very positive".
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However, Singh flagged a host of concerns over the issue pertaining to exempting vehicles carrying patients, disabled persons, or being driven by working women and those driving alone, and two-wheelers.
Stating that the discussions included the point that certain exemptions would be required, he said: “If there is a patient in a car, it will be exempted, if a single woman is driving, it will also be exempted. If there is an emergency… he (Rajnath Singh) flagged out some issues and we said we will sort it. The response was positive.”
Government sources said that the final blueprint of the proposal may have significant changes and that the decision may go in the favour of women.
The Home Minister further underscored that 57 lakh out of 88 lakh vehicles (65 per cent) registered in Delhi are two- wheelers. Meanwhile, Kejriwal said that "official vehicles will also be covered" under the odd-even number plate policy.
"The Home Minister stated that the government of India would cooperate in implementing the proposed scheme and would ask Delhi Police to enforce it in the best possible manner," an official statement from the North Block said.
"I will follow, my ministers will follow. We will go for car pooling. Some ministers live near my house and we will follow that I think that is the only practical solution to the problem. Our officers will do it," Kejriwal later said at a book launch function.
Kejriwal said he also discussed about the Delhi government's plan to put CCTV cameras across the city.
“We said we want CCTVs in whole of Delhi, but for that we need help of Delhi Police because the feed will go to Delhi Police… we need police cooperation.”
“We said there is nothing in the tussle (between Delhi Police and government), we must sit together and chart a course,” he said.
On Tuesday, Delhi PWD Minister met union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari who assured him support.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Dialogue Commission held a day-long consultation with over a dozen providers to enable and expand ride-sharing, carpooling, and shuttle services for the citizens of Delhi.
A review meeting on the road rationing is slated on Thursday which will be chaired by Arvind Kejriwal.
(With inputs from agencies)
