Delhi Government To Reintroduce Odd-Even Rule

Update: The NGT (National Green Tribunal) has stayed the Delhi government’s decision to introduce the odd-even rule stating that it needs to be proven that it was effective in the previous two instances when the rule was implemented.

The Delhi government has announced that it will re-implement the odd-even vehicular rule in the National Capital Region (NCR) from November 13-17, 2017, to help reduce the high-pollution levels which have gripped the region this past week.

With the implementation of the rule, the step will theoretically reduce vehicular traffic on the road and help in slightly reducing the pollutants released into the air. Cars with number plates ending in 0,2,4,6,8 will be allowed to ply only on November 14 and 16 while those with number plates ending in 1,3,5,7,9 will be allowed to ply on November 13,15 and 17. 

The exceptions to the rule include two-wheelers, CNG-vehicles (including commercial vehicles), ambulances, hybrid and electric vehicles, VVIP, embassy vehicles and cars driven by women with male passengers under the age of 12. Those found violating the rule will be slapped with a fine of Rs 2000 on the spot by the Delhi Traffic Police.

The public transport system in Delhi will be beefed up to handle the extra passenger count during the period. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has announced increased frequency of trains while Delhi Traffic Corporation buses will transport people for free to encourage more people to use the bus network.

The success of the first two instances of the odd-even rule being implemented have not been properly studied. While a slight drop in pollutants was observed during the first period, it was attributed to reduced traffic congestion, which in turn meant fewer vehicles were idling. All vehicles powered by internal combustion engines produce higher pollutants at idle. By the time the government introduced the rule the second time, many car owners in Delhi circumvented it by buying a second car with an opposing number.