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As Delhi braces for odd-even in 2019, which starts from November 4, it has asked cab aggregators to limit the extent to which they will charge customers extra.
Under the odd-even scheme that will start from November 4 and run till November 15, people who have a vehicle number that ends with odd number will drive their vehicles on one day, while those with even number will drive their vehicles the next day.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said, “Uber has committed to us that they will not permit more than 1.5 times the regular fare during the odd-even period.” Delhi government will engage 2000 private buses for the odd-even period for the additional load at Rs 50 per kilometre. "We have also met with Uber and are going to meet other cab operators and strictly warned them from indulging in indiscriminate surge pricing," he said in a release.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Saturday that women will be exempted from the odd-even scheme that will be in force this year from November 4-15. However, private CNG vehicles, which were exempted during the previous edition of odd-even, will not be exempt this year.
On the change in policy for CNG vehicles, the Chief Minister said, “In previous editions of odd even, CNG vehicles were exempt. But we observed that the CNG stickers used to denote vehicles were sold in the black market and misused by some people to bypass the odd-even scheme. This defeats the purpose of odd-even.”
A decision on exempting two wheelers has not been taken. Kejriwal said, “Two wheelers do pollute the air and we believe they should not be exempt under odd-even. But at the same time given the number of two wheelers in Delhi, it is impractical to take half of them off the roads. Delhi doesn't have such a large amount of vacant capacity in our public transport to be able to do that. However, the decision on two wheelers has not been taken yet by the government. In principle we have decided to stagger office timings. We are consulting experts on this and will share more information when the decision is taken,” he added.
Commenting on the fines that will be levied on violators, Kejriwal said, “Our aim will not be to heavily fine violators, but to request them to follow the rule. But violators will be liable to pay fines are per the New Motor Vehicles Act. We are looking into what the quantum of the fine shall be."
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