New Delhi: As the road-rationing odd-even scheme entered its fourth day today, long queues were witnessed at the Kashmere Gate metro station as the junction has connectivity to the major business centres of Delhi and NCR.
With today being a normal working day, the rush multiplied folds as people were opting for the most convenient public transport in huge numbers.
The real test for second phase of the odd-even scheme began today, the first working day since the road-rationing measure was rolled out.
All offices, schools and other institutions reopened today after the extended weekend. The second phase was rolled out on the day of Ram Navami, a public holiday, followed by the weekend.
Unlike the scheme's pilot phase, in which the focus was more on awareness and voluntary compliance, the government has cracked the whip on violators this time, with over 2,300 challans issued in the first two days as against 479 during the same period in the previous phase between January 1-15.
A total of 152 motorists were fined till Monday afternoon for violating the odd-even traffic scheme aimed at battling pollution, police said.
Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai also met senior police and transport department officials for discussing necessary arrangements to tackle any problems arising out of the strike when only even numbered vehicles, barring exempted categories, can be on the roads.
Under the fortnight-long scheme, private cars having odd registration numbers can ply only on odd dates and the even numbers on even dates, subject to a set of exemptions, which include VIPs, women, school going children, medical emergencies, commercial vehicles and CNG cars.
The rules, whose violation attract a penalty of Rs. 2,000 under provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, are applicable between 8 am and 8 pm, except on Sundays.
In the second phase from April 15-30, the government added into its exemption list people driving with school children in uniform.
However, the government has not been able to arrive at a solution to the problem of cars returning after dropping school children or heading towards the schools in the afternoon hours to pick them up, and suggested car-pooling.
This appeared to be a sharp drop from the 1,714 violations reported on Friday, when the second phase of the odd-even scheme began, and Saturday. The scheme is not applicable on Sundays.
Hundreds of thousands of diesel and petrol driven private vehicles with odd registration numbers went off the roads in the capital on Monday.
Police said the maximum of 36 challans were issued in east Delhi, followed by southern range (29 challans), southwest (28), central (23), north (22) and New Delhi range with 14 challans.
The violations were reported till 1 p.m. Each violator was fined Rs.2,000.
(With inputs from IANS)
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