Delhi government seeks exemptions for odd-even this year

Demanding exemption for women drivers and two-wheelers for "this year", the Delhi government on Monday filed a review petition at the NGT, two days after it decided to halt the traffic rationing scheme after the green court flayed the exemptions.

"We have filed the review petition demanding exemptions for women drivers and two-wheelers for this year only," Delhi government counsel Tarunvir Singh Khehar told the media here.

On Saturday, the National Green Tribunal gave the go-ahead to the odd-even scheme but disapproved the exemptions given during the previous two rounds of odd-even scheme in January and April 2016.

The Delhi government had on Saturday said it would approach the green court again on Monday requesting the exemptions and, subject to the NGT decision, it would "consider implementing it again".

Stating it did not have enough public transport as of now to accommodate the extra commuters -- over 30 lakh during the odd-even if two-wheelers were not exempted -- the Delhi government said the process of procuring new buses was going on.

According to it, about 3,500 new buses were being procured to ply in the national capital.

The Delhi government counsel said from next year, with better preparation, it would be in a position to implement the odd-even scheme without any exemption.

The odd-even scheme involves having vehicles with odd number registration numbers on the roads on odd dates and those with even registration numbers on even dates.

Earlier in the day, the NGT questioned the Delhi government for not filing a review petition and wondered if its statement on Saturday was a media gimmick.

Khehar responded that the delay in filing the review petition was due to some registry issues.

The Tribunal would hear the matter on Tuesday, NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The road rationing scheme was to be implemented from November 13 to 17 in a bid to limit the number of vehicles on Delhi's roads after the city's air quality went "beyond severe" levels, causing widespread alarm. - IANS