Even-Odd Formula Won’t Work!

Today I heard the Delhi transport minister claiming that the even-odd formula will also be applied to the two-wheelers. People may still think twice before buying a second car, but buying a second bike or a two-wheeler would be much easier. This formula will certainly lead to increase in car and bike sales.

Further, the public transport can’t be extended to all the nooks and corners of the city. They can run on arterials, not on internal roads. The movement of bikes and cars on internal roads is the immediate cause of pollution affecting health esp of children, where their even-odd formula will not work, for the surveillance mechanism can’t be set up inside the colonies. The people have formed a habit to move in cars and bikes even for their local convenience shopping. In fact, the people find it inferior to ride bicycles. This vehicular traffic can easily be replaced by eco-friendly bicycles and slow moving vehicles including electric bikes, but only if the people would change their habits — if nothing else give them free energy drinks when they ride bicycles.

For the long distance travel, bicycles and electric bikes can’t be used, but they need to interchange at traffic junction for movement to and fro on shorter routes; therefore, dedicated carriage way on the arterials for slow moving vehicles is a must. No car day, riding bicycles on arterials, etc., are just photo-ops, period. I find the competition between the buses and cars on the same carriage way as the main reason for traffic snarls. If the two arterials are running parallel to each other on a long route, why can’t one be made a dedicated bus road, and the other the dedicated light and medium vehicle road! I am sure there are many such opportunities lying in the Delhi road map; someone will have to read it. And it can be done faster than working out the even-odd formula; whatever it is.

The last mile connectivity is an important issue, which is threatened the most by the traffic police constables, who find certain pleasure in puncturing the cycle rickshaws tubes. And they can do it because all cycle rickshaws on Delhi roads are illegal. I fail to understand why the cycle rickshaws have not been issued new licences for ages. Why such an important mode of transportation is still illegal? Just because you can’t give them parking space and consider them as nuisance to the cars and bikes moving on the internal roads when they are the ones who should be getting preferential treatment therein!

And I just don’t understand why the diesel cars are allowed to run in Delhi? Why can’t they just be stopped all together? Stopping the sale and manufacturing of car is the hard measure expected and required, not some kiddish idea which will further increase car sales. You can’t expect people to not use their material assets after coming into their possession. If pollution should be controlled by making life style changes, then an option has to be given to the people to change. You can’t change lifestyles by allowing the further accumulation of material assets. This even-odd formula is ridiculous at best and corrupt at worst — and I have a strong doubt it is corrupt.

About the Author

Ankur Mutreja
Ankur Mutreja is an advocate-cum-writer, and his blogs are amongst his modes of expression. He has also authored number of books, which can be downloaded from the links on the top menu.

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