Odd-even Day 4: Over 700 fined; Cab services ‘suspend’ surge pricing

Over 700 Delhiites were fined on Monday when the real test of the second phase of traffic rationing measures began in the national capital on Monday, the first working day since the odd-even scheme was rolled out on April 15.

All offices, schools and other institutions reopened after an extended weekend. The second phase of the scheme was rolled out on Ram Navami, a public holiday, followed by the weekend.

Check your city’s pollution level here

Unlike the scheme’s pilot phase, in which the focus was more on awareness and voluntary compliance, the government has cracked the whip on violators this time, with over 2,300 challans issued in the first two days as against 479 during the same period in the previous phase between January 1 and 15.

In pics: Heavy traffic witnessed on Delhi roads

As it happened:

8:00pm

Final figures for odd-even violators have arrived. A total of 710 commuters were fined for violation of the rule until 8pm on Monday.

Read full story here .

6.45pm

Taxi-hailing services Uber and Ola temporarily suspended extra pricing during peak hours in the Delhi-NCR region on Monday after wide criticism during traffic rationing measures in the national capital.

Read more about the suspension here.

5.00pm

The total violations rose to 351 by 2 pm, still less compared to Friday.

4:00pm

A total of 152 Delhiites were fined till Monday afternoon for violating the odd-even traffic scheme. A sharp drop from the 1,714 violations reported on Friday, when the second phase of the scheme began.

Police said the maximum number of challans were issued in east Delhi - 36, followed by south Delhi - 29, southwest - 28, central - 23, north - 22 and New Delhi - 14.

The violation numbers were last reported at 2 pm. Each violator was fined Rs 2,000.

2:30pm

Complaints pour in from all over Delhi that Ola and Uber, Delhi’s biggest cab-hailing companies, hiked their rates by at least three times the usual rate to five times during morning rush hour.

Kejriwal on Monday said that strict action will be taken against the taxi services which are charging more than government-prescribed rates.

Read more on this here.

12:40pm
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday expressed disappointment over BJP MP Vijay Goel’s move to violate the odd-even scheme. He said that one should not tamper with a move, which has received immense public support.

Kejriwal said, “The reports state that the people of Delhi are following the initiative very positively.”

Responding to a poser about Goel being fined Rs 3,500 for violating the odd-even scheme, Kejriwal said, “Vijay Goel ji was driving without license. This is a very dangerous thing.”

He further congratulated the people of Delhi for the success of Odd-Even formula.

12:20pm:
DTC and cluster buses were packed with passengers on some routes in Burari, Uttam Nagar and other areas.

12:10pm:
Long queue at the Barakhamba Road metro Station in New Delhi on Monday morning.

11:45am
Heavy traffic was seen on many roads in the morning hours on Monday.

11am: BJP leader Vijendra Gupta on odd-even scheme

- The odd-even traffic scheme is just a drama and publicity stunt.

- We don’t know as to what this government wants to prove through the Odd-Even formula. If you say that traffic congestion gets reduced for 15 days, the traffic will on the 16th day yet again face the same problem then why this drama.

- There has been no reduction in pollution. The people of Delhi are facing problems but the Delhi government has no time to pay heed to their problems as it is busy in its own advertisement.

- This is a publicity stunt all over the country. There has been a misutilisation of public exchequer. This shows the dictatorial attitude of the Kejriwal government.

10:55am:
The shutdown called on Monday by the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) was called off after a meeting between Delhi’s transport minister and union representatives.

10:50am
Kejriwal carpooled with health minister Satyender Jain and transport minister Gopal Rai to reach Delhi Secretariat.

10:30am:
BJP MP Vijay Goel fined Rs 3,500 for violating odd-even rule and not carrying his driving license with him. He was opposing the govt expenditure on ads because of the scheme.

10:15am
Delhi transport minister Gopal Rai offers rose to Delhi BJP leader Vijay Goel as he had threatened to violate.

10am:
Peak-hour on Bhairon Marg turns worse than on normal days, but same as any other morning on Nizamuddin bridge.

9:30am:

9:15am
Traffic jam on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway from Ambience Mall to Mahipalpur.

8:50am:
Gopal Rai on odd even day 4 -

- Today being Monday is big test for odd even, but like last time I am sure people will support the scheme again.

8.40am:
Despite the restrictions, a large number of vehicles were seen plying on the the Kalindi Kunj bridge.

8.10am:
Aam Aadmi Party minister Kapil Mishra took a metro from Civil Lines to start his day for a meeting.

A strike called by auto and taxi unions in the city earlier threatened to add to the woes of commuters, but it was withdrawn after an assurance by the government of looking into the demands of the protesters.

The Aam Aadmi Party alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was trying to foil the odd-even scheme by “terrorising” a section of auto and taxi drivers into striking work.

Under the fortnight-long scheme, private cars with odd registration numbers can ply only on odd dates and the even numbers on even dates, subject to a set of exemptions, which include VIPs, women, school going children, medical emergencies, commercial vehicles and CNG cars.

In order to ensure the success of the scheme, the government has set a fine of Rs 2,000 for violators. It has also deployed 2,000 traffic personnel, 580 enforcement officials and over 5,000 civil defence volunteers to implement the scheme.

Read | Twitter users give thumbs up to odd-even phase two, few brickbats too

In the second phase from April 15 to 30, the government added into its exemption list people driving with schoolchildren in uniform.

However, the government has not been able to arrive at a solution to the problem of cars returning after dropping school children or heading towards the schools in the afternoon hours to pick them up, and suggested car pooling.

Check the air quality in your city