Stuck in Jam, Road Minister Vows to Reduce Traffic Congestion
NEW DELHI: Stuck in traffic jam for two hours on Monday night, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday asked top officials in the ministry to find a solution to the problem and come out with a plan.
Gadkari’s car was stuck on Gurgaon-Mahipalpur flyover on Monday night. There were reportedly 25,000 weddings in the city and there was a massive jam across Delhi.
“We are studying the traffic of Delhi and the report will come to me in 15 days. We will identify the black spots of Delhi and also inform the Delhi government. We will jointly solve this traffic jam problem,” Gadkari told reporters here. The minister asked officials to prepare a proposal to make the road congestion free.
“I assure you that within a year and a half, the traffic jams in Delhi will be reduced by half. Delhi’s pollution will also be reduced,” he said.
This comes at a time when Delhi government announced its plans of allowing only private vehicles with odd- or even-numbers on their licence plates to ply on alternate days, to curb pollution. The move has been criticised over poor public transport facility in the city.
Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain on Tuesday met Gadkari and sought the Centre’s cooperation for effective implementation of the odd-even plan in the national capital. Jain said the Union Minister supported the AAP government’s efforts and assured the Centre’s help in implementing the plan.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also sought an appointment with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for the Central government’s cooperation for the same.
The odd-even scheme for plying of private vehicles in the city will be in force from 8 AM-8 PM from January 1 for an initial period of 15 days and there will be no restrictions on vehicular movement on Sundays, the Delhi government said on Tuesday.
After a meeting attended by all stakeholders including Delhi Police, PWD and Metro officials, Kejriwal said his government had not yet take a call on whether the plan would also apply to two-wheelers. Transport Minister Gopal Rai said “government will soon come out with details of exemptions like those who are ailing and disabled. A decision on whether women will be included in ‘exemption list’ is yet to be taken. The odd-even scheme will be in force from 8 AM-8PM and there will be no restrictions on Sundays”.
In the first phase, the Delhi government informed that the vehicles with odd-even registration numbers will ply on Delhi roads between January 1-15. It impact on air pollution and lives of people will be assessed after that, following which the next decision will be taken.
Rai further said the “Delhi Metro is working on a plan to increase operational frequency. We have also decided to bring 1,000 new cluster buses to augment public transport... and involve around 9,000 private buses including those serving schools for ferrying passengers.”