Government to give subsidy on cycles using odd-even challan amount

However, the government has cleared the air now saying the there is no plan of extending the much talked about scheme that has seen mixed reactions from Delhites.

Seeking to promote cycling in the national capital, Delhi government on Saturday said it will provide subsidy on purchase of cycles, from the money collected as challans during the odd-even scheme’s implementation period.

The fate of the scheme will be decided on January 11 by the Delhi High Court which today reserved its order on various pleas challenging it.

“Out of these numbers, 2,912 challans were issued by SDMs and 2,260 by traffic police. The odd-even scheme is an emergency measure to arrest peaking of the air pollution level”, Salve said adding that the scheme has succeeded in arresting the upward trend in air pollution. “Till January 15, we will collect data and thereafter do a proper analysis and take a decision (on formulation of policy to reduce pollution)”, Rai told reporters here.

He claimed that the city’s air quality would have been “worse” had the odd-even scheme not been in place.

The Delhi government had been asked whether it could limit the restrictions of the odd-even scheme in Delhi to a week instead of the planned 15 days.

The court was hearing a batch of 12 public interest writ petitions that highlighted the practical difficulties faced by the public on account of the odd-even scheme. Cars with odd-numbered licence plates are allowed on the roads on odd-numbered dates and those with even-numbered plates on the other days.