As the odd-even private car restrictions in Delhi come to an end, here are some key takeaways. First, despite my initial scepticism the traffic restrictions worked out smoothly. Delhiites appeared to have taken the odd-even formula in their stride and planned their daily commute accordingly. Public transport options such as buses and metro were only marginally more crowded than usual, and that too at particular periods of the day. Those used to driving themselves around were forced to carpool, book taxis and autorickshaws, and travel with the masses using public modes - on the whole a good thing. The experiment proved that many people in Delhi use private vehicles even though they may not need to do so on a daily basis. It also showed that Delhiites aren't as blasé as one would have thought - they will obey rules when enforced stringently. Plus, it's true that many residents of the city are genuinely concerned about air pollution levels and wholeheartedly supported the odd-even plan. And lastly, since the experiment was to end after 15 days, most people did not mind adjusting their routines for a couple of weeks. As a result, over the last fortnight traffic in Delhi improved markedly. However, initial data indicates that the experiment made little difference to air quality, especially the dangerous PM 2.5 levels. This was expected since all vehicles contribute only 15% to Delhi's total air pollution with cars contributing only 5%. And with two-wheelers and women drivers left out of the odd-even plan, air pollution levels could hardly be tackled. Plus, schools were closed during this period which helped unclog roads and allowed repurposing of school buses for public transport. On the whole Delhi aced the odd-even test, something that might encourage the city-state government to announce future phases of the experiment. However, it should know by now that vehicular restrictions will only have a limited impact on air quality, notwithstanding the gains made in decongestion of roads. To genuinely tackle air pollution the authorities must do three things. First, begin vacuum cleaning of roads as dust is a major source of dangerous particulate matter. Second, invest in public transport in a big way - we still need many more buses and metro lines. And third, eliminate the subsidy for dirty diesel fuel.
Of course, all of these measures can't be taken by the Delhi government alone as many of the policy areas fall within the purview of the central government.
Courtesy: TOI |
