Odd-even rule: Peak-hour traffic volume dips 30%, govt earns Rs 40 lakh

Miss Alone

Prime VIP
he challan drive against errant motorists during the odd-even rule has earned the government Rs 40 lakh in fines. Besides, the numberplate scheme has reduced the peak-hour traffic volume by about 30%. A rough analysis by the traffic police has attributed Tuesday's compliance to the heavy prosecutions and the fear of the Rs-2,000 fine.
Cops booked 401 drivers for violations, while the transport department fined 207 drivers. A total of 639 challans were issued by SDMs. Moreover, the policemen posted at the intersections have been asked to focus more on traffic management than prosecution during peak hours. The move comes after the cops drew flak for traffic snarls at the Gurgaon border on Monday.
Though adequate number of policemen were deployed, police officers said that most drivers were found complying with the norms on Tuesday. They were also asked to check vehicles for genuine CNG stickers following complaints about sale of stickers at some gas stations.

Though there were more even-numbered vehicles on the roads than the challans showed, the hefty fine proved a deterrent. "Panic seemed to have gripped road-users after Monday's drive. At some points, not a single challan was issued," said Muktesh Chander, special commissioner, traffic.
Even the number of other violations was also less. According to police' estimate, more than 50% lesser challans were issued on Tuesday. On an average, cops issue 1,000 challans, including the regular ones, every day, but the number dropped by about 40% on Tuesday.

Though no traffic snarls were reported during peak hours, vehicular movement was slow in parts of central and east Delhi as unruly bus drivers flouted lane discipline. "Most buses stopped for a longer duration to woo passengers as they ran empty even during peak hours," said a traffic police officer.
Meanwhile, the traffic cops have planned to hold meetings with other agencies to discuss ways of challaning vehicles in order to avoid snarls during peak hours. "Since there are multiple authorities involved in the challaning process, we have requested each one of them to follow a protocol about stopping vehicles. We have asked them to avoid stopping vehicles on the busy intersections during peak hours, which leads to snarls," added the
 
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