he fifth day of the odd-even restrictions began with the government cracking its whip against app-based taxi services, including Ola and Uber.
The Transport Department, which had earlier issued a warning to app-based cab operators to refrain from overcharging customers through surge pricing, impounded 18 of their vehicles for violating the same.
Congestion continued to plague Delhi's streets even as prosecution figures dipped on Tuesday. Transport Minister Gopal Rai insisted that the implementation of the scheme was a “success story so far” even as online app-based taxi operator Uber sought to blame the Delhi government for a shortage of its cars to serve commuters.
On impounding of the vehicles, Mr. Rai said, “The action was taken after commuters complained on the helpline provided by the Delhi government.” He also added that he had directed the government departments concerned to finish work on the Bhairon Marg cave-in which, he claimed, was responsible for much congestion in Central Delhi.
Uber followed up with a text message to its customers to the effect that if no cars were available or there was longer wait time, that was because of suspension of surge which “ensures there is a car availability at all time.”
Jams were seen at major intersections across Delhi with commuters complaining of usual congestion at ITO, the NH-8 and sections of the Ring Road “if not more than usual traffic”.
“I left my house in Jungpura at 10 am and could reach only the Hyatt Hotel till 12:30 pm; it was only an hour later that I could reach the domestic airport – I would've easily missed my flight if I was travelling but, fortunately, I wasn't,” said Rajdeep Singh, 25, a private executive.
Meanwhile enforcement officials said 567 drivers were issued fines between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday, down from over 700 a day earlier.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal chose to hit out against critics of odd-even, calling media reports on the increase in pollution “bizarre”. “Bizarre conclusions by some media -- less petrol consumption, less vehicles and yet pollution increased,” Mr Kejriwal tweeted on Tuesday morning.
Later, while speaking at an event organised by the Centre for Science and Environment, Mr. Kejirwal continued his barbs against the media. He said a Canadian delegation, including the High Commissioner to India, had visited him on Monday and wanted to know about odd-even.
“They said they would have assumed that 30 to 40 per cent of cars would have gone off the roads, but the newspapers were reporting that pollution had gone up. They asked how that could be. I said even I was confused,” said Mr. Kejriwal.
He added that petrol pumps were threatening to go on strike because their sales had decreased by 40 per cent during odd-even. “Even I was thinking about what we could do to reduce pollution,” he said, adding that he was glad that the CSE found odd-even to be working.
However, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), which is under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, said the pollution level in the Capital increased on Tuesday as compared to Monday.
The SAFAR in its website said the PM2.5 level was 124.6 and PM10 was 275.1 for Tuesday as against Monday’s 75.4 (PM2.5 level) and 202.4 (PM10 level).
Kejriwal tweets about ‘bizarre’ media reports that say there are fewer cars on roads, but pollution is rising
