Residents not for having odd-even scheme in Gurgaon

They said that given the city’s inadequate public transport facility, the odd-even road rationing scheme could spell disaster.

With the Delhi government making a plea to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for implementing the odd-even scheme across Delhi and neighbouring cities, residents are sceptical about its success in Gurgaon.

The air quality index in Gurgaon on Wednesday was 350, in the very poor category. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

They said that given the city’s inadequate public transport facility, the odd-even road rationing scheme could spell disaster.

The scheme is one in which those with registration numbers ending in odd digits are allowed to ply on odd dates and those ending in even digits run on even dates.The scheme to fight the Capital’s toxic air was largely inspired by the Beijing model, which was introduced ahead of the Summer Olympics in 2008.

Incidentally, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting in Chandigarh on Wednesday to discuss matters pertaining to the pollution crisis in Haryana and Delhi.

Only areas in close proximity to the New Delhi can boast of Metro connectivity while the remaining areas of the city have limited and expensive public transport options.

Even in areas that have metro connectivity, residents claim that the ‘additional footfall of commuters’ at the metro stations may make the service inaccessible.

“During the festival season, there have been instances when the metro authorities had to close off entry to the stations owing to the heavy rush. At present, officials are already struggling with the passenger load at the Huda City Centre metro station and the MG Road station during rush hour. Hence, the implementation of the odd-even scheme will result in more commuters opting for the metro, which may cripple the metro service altogether,” Arshdeep Singh, a resident of Sector 54, said.

Residents who use aggregator-based cabs for commuting fear that the odd-even scheme will lead to a surge in fares.

“During the cab union strike as well as the odd-even scheme in New Delhi, cabs are few and far between, which leads to inflated fares. In the eventuality of the scheme being implemented across NCR, the fares may surge to such an extent that it can no longer be affordable to everyone,” Mihir Kohli, a resident of DLF-5, said.