Leave Your Car Home Every Second Day as Delhi Fights Crippling Air Pollution

The increased level of polluted air due to growing number of vehicles in Delhi has actually forced the government and the concerned authorities to implement odd-even vehicle rule to curb pollution. The rising level of pollution due to smoke emitted by vehicles in Delhi has in fact led to many respiratory diseases and illnesses among the people living in the capital. The deteriorating Delhi Air Quality due to pollution is having a direct impact on the health of the children below age 5 and older people. Therefore, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi will be introducing the new rule from January 1.

Odd-Even Traffic Rule

Private vehicles would run across Delhi based on registration number. Vehicle having an odd digit number would be allowed to run on the roads from Jan 1, while a vehicle having an even number would be permitted to run on Jan 2, and so on. 

It must be noted that this traffic rationing rule was implemented in China before 2008 Beijing Olympics and it yielded good results. Similar rules were also enforced to curb vehicular pollution in Bogota, Mexico and Paris. Earlier, Delhi High Court instructed the state government and central government to devise and implement comprehensive plans in order to check alarming pollution rate in New Delhi. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal decided to execute the Odd Even Rule in Delhi, hoping to reduce the no of vehicles plying on the roads per day, thus bringing down the pollution rate.

• Vehicles having odd registration no would be permitted on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
• Vehicles having even registration no would be allowed to ply on roads on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. However, nothing has been decided about Sundays by the government.
• PCR vans, ambulances, fire tenders and CNG-driven auto rickshaws, buses and taxis have been exempted from this new system.