Skip to main content

Delhi tries ‘car rationing’ to combat pollution

Delhi has introduced ‘car rationing’ in a bid to battle the Indian capital’s ongoing pollution problem, allowing drivers to use roads only on alternate days.
November 4, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

Electric vehicles, public transport, emergency vehicles, taxis and two-wheelers are exempt - but the days on which people can drive other vehicles from 4-15 November will depend on their number plates, according to a BBC report.

Private cars ending in odd numbers will only be able to drive on odd days (e.g. 5 November, 7 November) while those ending in zero or even numbers can only use the roads on even dates (e.g. 4 November, 6 November).

The restrictions run from 8am-8pm, Monday-Saturday, with Sunday free for all. Vehicles which run on compressed natural gas are not exempt. Fines of 4,000 rupees ($56) will be levied on drivers who ignore the ban.

The system has been used before in Delhi, in 2016 and 2017, as levels of dangerous PM2.5 particles are well above recommended limits, the BBC says. But there are concerns that the car rationing scheme may not solve the problem – although it will reduce congestion.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the city has been turned into a ‘gas chamber’.

Delhi was among the cities signing up to a pledge on clearn air earlier this year. Air quality is an issue that has come to prominence in the ITS industry, with transport technology seen as having the potential to provide some of the answers.

The 1819 World Health Organisation says that nine out of 10 citizens around the world breathe dirty air, with seven million dying prematurely each year due to air pollution.

 

 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • ITS America ‘disappointed’ at Toyota V2X decision
    May 9, 2019
    Trade association ITS America has expressed disappointment that Toyota is pausing its Vehicle to Everything (V2X) deployment in the US. The Japanese car maker sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) saying that a lack of activity from other manufacturers on V2X – plus uncertainty over the regulatory position – had led to the decision. In a statement, ITS America said it was ‘disappointed’, adding: “We appreciate Toyota’s leadership and commitment to life-saving V2X technology.” Th
  • UN safety drive for 30 km/h speed limit
    May 20, 2021
    Child Health Initiative global ambassador Zoleka Mandela says: 'Above 30 is a death sentence'
  • Truck driver with foot on dashboard is among 4,000 drivers caught by unmarked HGV Cab
    November 7, 2017
    Highways England has released footage of a truck driver checking his phone while his right foot was on the dashboard. Spotted by Humberside Police, the driver was travelling from the M18 onto the M62 near Goole and is one of 4000 dangerous drivers on UK roads caught by a single unmarked HGV cab over a two year period. Another driver was pulled over by Devon and Cornwall Police and was found to have sent 10 replies to 10 texts within one hour and a driver in Surrey was seen trying to put toothpaste on a to
  • Voi shows rider impact on CO2 emissions
    November 3, 2021
    Dashboard displays the rider’s average contribution to air quality