Allow standing passengers in buses, metro: Delhi govt urges DDMA amid high pollution levels
PremiumDelhi Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot also said that the city government is hiring around 1,000 buses to control pollution from private vehicles
The Delhi government has moved a proposal with the DDDMA to allow standing passengers in Delhi Metro and buses to augment public transport in view of severe air pollution. Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot also said that the city government is hiring around 1,000 buses to control pollution from private vehicles.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the buses and metro are permitted to ply with 100% seating capacity but no standing passengers are allowed in the national capital.
In a tweet Gehlot wrote, "Owing to improved COVID situation & to control pollution from private vehicles, we've moved a proposal with DDMA to allow standing passengers in buses & Delhi Metro, to modify current order prohibiting the same. I request all Delhiites to cooperate & shift to public transport".
The minister request Delhi residents to shift from personal vehicles to public transport in order to mitigate the rising level of air quality.
"With a view to augment public transport Delhi govt is in the process of hiring around 1000 private buses for 1 month," Gehlot added.
The transport department held a meeting with private bus operators for hiring buses to increase their frequency on different routes and augment the existing fleet of public transport buses.
"We had a meeting with the transport commissioner and other officers. Several bus operators attended the meeting and offered to provide 500 CNG buses in case an odd-even scheme is implemented," the transport department officer said.
Meanwhile, a decision on the odd-even scheme is yet to be made. The odd-even scheme is a vehicle rationing scheme under which odd and even-numbered vehicles ply on alternate days. Vehicles with registration numbers ending in odd numbers are allowed on the roads on odd days and even-numbered vehicles are allowed on even days.
Terming the rise in air pollution in the Delhi-NCR an "emergency" situation, the Supreme Court last week asked the Centre and the Delhi government to take immediate measures to improve the air quality and suggested steps such as stopping vehicles and clamping a lockdown in the national capital.
Yesterday, the Delhi government gave three proposals to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for battling air pollution in the city.
According to the Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai, the three proposals include: work from home should be implemented everywhere in NCR including Delhi. Secondly, construction activities should also be stopped in the entire NCR and lastly, industries should be closed.
Rai added, "To control vehicle pollution in Delhi, the "red light on, vehicle off" campaign is running from October 18-November 18. It is being extended for another 15 days. This will be its second phase. Two and a half thousand civil defence volunteers will continue to work. This campaign is being run in two shifts from 8 am to 8 pm."
Meanwhile, the CAQM has directed that schools, colleges and educational institutions in the National Capital Region (NCR) will remain closed until further orders, allowing only online mode of education.
It also said that only five of the 11 thermal power plants located within 300 km radius of Delhi – NTPC, Jhajjar; Mahatma Gandhi TPS, CLP Jhajjar; Panipat TPS, HPGCL; Nabha Power Ltd. TPS, Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo TPS, Mansa – will remain operational till November 30.
The commission directed Delhi and the NCR states to stop construction and demolition activities in the region till November 21. Trucks carrying non-essential items have been banned from entering Delhi till November 21.
Authorities in NCR have been ordered to ensure that no diesel and petrol vehicles older than 10 years and 15 years, respectively, are found plying on road.
Delhi has continued to witness 'very poor' air quality with overall Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 379 on Wednesday, according to the System of Air Quality & Weather Forecasting & Research (SAFAR).
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