NEW DELHI: The odd-even car policy of the Delhi government on Wednesday received support from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh who met CM Arvind Kejriwal at North Block to discuss the scheme addressed at tackling the pollution levels in the capital. Singh told Kejriwal that the Centre would cooperate in implementing the scheme and would ask Delhi Police to enforce it in the best possible manner. He advised the Delhi government to take into account the vehicles for handicapped, emergency services and vehicles used by working women while finalising the scheme.
Singh said that the state government should also be considerate of two-wheeler users because they belong to less well-off persons, who may be living in areas which do not have easy access to public transportation. He advised Kejriwal to look at long-term solutions, like examining the feasibility of phasing out non-CNG vehicles from the national capital region in the next three to five years.
The Centre will support the Delhi government by installing a large number of CCTVs, since the effective monitoring of the scheme will require technological support, he said.
“Such schemes should be finalised only after widespread public consultations. It would ensure that all the stakeholders are heard and the schemes receive good support from the resident population once they are implemented,” Singh told Kejriwal.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government decided to press into service 4,000 additional buses from January 1 to 15 as part of its efforts to strengthen public transport.
It has tied up with the Delhi Contract Bus Association, an apex body of contract carriage and tourist bus operators in Delhi.