Terming the second day of implementation of odd-even formula as successful, Delhi Transport minister Gopal Rai today said he noticed "a new, collective consciousness" among people to contribute towards efforts for lowering pollution.
"Mere rules can not change anything, change of mindset is needed which we aimed at through implementation of odd-even formula. Two days trials show that people of Delhi are ready for it," Rai said.
The minister said that government had prepared for implementation of the scheme on day one and now its "responsibility" of the people to ensure that violations do not take place even on Monday.
Regarding questions over Delhi government's preparations to ensure proper implementation of the formula on Monday when vehicular traffic and number of commuters is likely to significantly go up, he said that people of Delhi are ready to follow the rule.
Rebutting charges of Opposition BJP and Congress that the odd-even formula was launched without adequate preparations, Rai said hey were opposing the scheme just for the "sake of opposition."
"Yesterday while heading towards India gate I stopped in front of BJP office and found that there was only one vehicle that violated odd-even formula," he said.
"There can not be any division over the need to fight pollution to clean the air we breath," he stated.
Rai who took a bus ride to take stock of the situation on the roads said "only odd-numbered cars were seen on the road yesterday while today only even numbered cars are visible."
The minister's bus ride started from Delhi Secretariat passed through Indraprastha, Nizammudin, Saray Kale Khan, Ashram, Nehru Place, India Gate, finally concluding at the starting point.
The smooth ride, however, suffered a hiccup as the DTC bus carrying the minister along with officials of Transport department and mediapersons nearly missed an accident near the millennium depot.
A cyclist accompanied by his son tried to cross the road even as the bus was moving. The cyclist claiming to be a government official confronted the bus driver and Traffic cops on duty but the matter was sorted with no action imitated against anyone.
The minister said DTC was running thousands of buses
and efforts were on to increase the number of buses but there were problems as private bus owners were complaining of "pressure" to refuse providing their services.
"We are talking to them for increasing the number of buses although they have been complaining of pressure," he said.
The buses presently plying on the roads of the city are running empty. The present number of buses can accommodate another 15-16 lakh passengers if their number increases on Monday, said the minister.
Saying that the odd-even formula will be reviewed by the government after 15 days of its implementation, Rai said "We do not want to cause anarchy, we are just working for solution(to pollution). Women were exempted because of safety reasons, bikers were exempted as government can not provide alternative to them."
Delhi government is running 5082 buses including 1170 private buses today. On the first day of odd-even formula yesterday, 5309 buses were running, said a senior government official adding that number of buses may go up on Monday.
