No Odd-Even for two-wheelers in Delhi, SC stays NGT order

New Delhi, Sep 17: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed NGT order directing that odd-even vehicle rotation scheme be implemented for two-wheelers in New Delhi.

The decision came after the Delhi government expressed its inability to accommodate 68 lakh people in public transport.

A bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Dipak Gupta was told by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) A N S Nadkarni, appearing for Delhi government that it would be impossible to accommodate people in public transport if odd-even scheme is made applicable for two-wheelers also.

Nadkarni said there were around 68 lakh two-wheelers in Delhi and they were seeking exemption for two-wheelers. He said the NGT had passed an order on December 15 last year in this regard and they were complying with all directions but want exemption for two-wheelers in the odd-even scheme.

In November last year, the NGT had cleared the deck for implementation for the odd-even vehicular scheme as a measure for combatting alarming levels of air pollution.

The tribunal, however, did away with the exemption granted to women, two-wheelers and government servants under the scheme.

The tribunal had also directed Delhi to ensure that diesel vehicles that are more than 10 years old are removed from city roads without any delay. It also said the city should not gift infected lungs to its children.

The policy mandates that private vehicles ply on the basis of the last number of their licence plates odd numbered cars on odd dates and even-numbered ones on even dates and has been enforced in Delhi twice earlier: from January 1 to 15 and April 15 to 30.