New Delhi: VIPs, women drivers, CNG-certified vehicles, two wheelers and those carrying the differently- abled are among 25 categories which will be exempted from the ambitious odd-even scheme set to roll out from January 1 for 15 days, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced Thursday.
Violators would attract a penalty of Rs 2,000, he told reporters at his residence here while listing out those out of the ambit of the scheme which includes vehicles of President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Governors, Chief Justice of India, Lok Sabha Speaker and Union Ministers.
SPG protectees, vehicles of Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, judges of Supreme Court and Delhi High Court will not be covered by the scheme.
Kejriwal candidly said that if the number of violators is huge, it will mean that the public at large in the national capital are not in favour of the scheme and it will be discontinued.
The car rationing scheme, which has received a mixed response from experts and the general public, would be applicable from 8 AM to 8 PM on all days except Sunday and on cars with NCR and other states’ registration number plates, Kejriwal said.
A woman driving a car, even while being accompanied by female co-passengers and children up to the age of 12, would be exempted whereas cases of medical emergencies would be treated on “basis of trust” for the first two weeks of January 2016, the CM said. Senior citizens, doctors, lawyers, who had petitioned the government seeking exemption, will have to abide by the regulations.
Announcing the blueprint of the scheme, Kejriwal said it has received all the necessary approvals, including that of the Lt Governor, and a notification for its implementation would be issued next Monday. Kejriwal kept himself and his cabinet ministers under the scheme and said that they will carpool to work during the trial period. Transport Minister Gopal Rai said that all the officers will also follow the scheme.
Embassy vehicles bearing CD numbers, cars with defence ministry number plates, vehicles which are having a pilot or escort have also been exempted. Emergency and enforcement vehicles such as ambulances, fire brigade, police vehicles, hearse vehicles, transport department vehicles would be out of its ambit as well.
The Chief Minister assured that Delhi Metro services would run at its peak frequency during the period would the regulations would be in force.
The announcement came a day after the national capital recorded its most polluted day of the year which saw a sharp spike in the level of suspended particulate matters, and following a series of directives from the higher courts to regulate vehicle movement in the megapolis.
There are over 19 lakh private four-wheelers registered in Delhi and nearly half of these will go off the roads with the implementation of the radical odd-even formula. (PTI)
