Delhi: This time too, women, 2-wheelers likely to be exempted from odd-even

Asked if the exemptions will remain this time around, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said: “Most probably.”

A senior government official said women are likely to be kept out of the ambit of the scheme keeping the aspect of their safety in mind. “The government also feels that two-wheelers have to be exempted as well, mainly because the public transport system will take some more time to reach a level where we can call it robust,” the official added.

In case of cars being driven by women, the exemption in 2016 also included accompanying children of up to 12 years age. Vehicles carrying children in school uniform were also exempted.

The other exemptions that were in force in the last two phases covered CNG-vehicles, an extensive list of VVIPs ranging from the President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India to the Lokayukta. Vehicles on medical emergency services were also exempted.

During the odd-even period, private cars bearing registration number plates ending with odd and even digits are allowed to ply on alternate days.

Delhi has a population of 2 crore, which is served by 5,500 buses. Around 3,796 of these come under the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), while the rest, known as orange cluster buses, are owned by private players and managed by DIMTS.

The 373-km-long Delhi Metro rail network, which also touches parts of neighbouring towns such as Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad, has emerged as Delhi’s lifeline in the last few years.

The augmentation of the cluster fleet by 1,000 began last month with the induction of 25-standard floor buses. According to Gahlot, 25 more buses have arrived in Delhi and will be inducted soon. According to the official timeline, 125 buses are to be added in September and 170 in October.