Indian capital introduces odd-even scheme for vehicles to curb killing pollution

The Indian capital on Thursday unveiled a traffic rationing scheme to impose odd-even vehicle plates restriction in its fresh move to curb killing toxic air which has prevailed the city since winter began last month.

The measure would however exempt 25 categories of motorists including women drivers, bikers, emergency vehicles and a host of VIPs.

The odd-even formula will be tried on a pilot basis for 15 days starting from January and will apply between 08:00 a.m. and 20:00 p.m. daily except on Sundays, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.

The scheme will be applicable only on cars, which constitute almost a third of the capital's nearly 9 million vehicles.

Buses, trucks and other commercial vehicles will be exempted from the restriction.

According to the government, cars with odd registration numbers will ply on odd dates while those with even registration numbers will run on even dates.

"We appeal to residents of Delhi to make this odd-even four-vehicle plan a success so as to reduce air pollution which has assumed alarming proportions," said the chief minister.

"Without people's support, this will not be successful."

The air pollution in Delhi is the worst among cities of the the world, according to international health organizations and environment monitoring organizations.

Even the Delhi High Court said the city had become akin to a "gas chamber." Enditem