Why the odd-even formula may fall through Delhi's public transport loopholes

By Vanita Akahury

The odd-even formula on Indian soil is an oddity. At the moment, we are short on infrastructure and high in numbers, and yet we want to test drive the scheme.

While vehicle rationing is a jolly good idea and one likes to ape good developments that are happening abroad, the functionality of it on our home turf is a big question mark.

This is because we do not have efficient public transport to carry out the plan. The entire scheme needs to be thought through from a data perspective. From drop off nodes to final destinations, connectivity is going to be a big challenge.

“Our public transport system caters to only 17-20% traffic,” states Shubhranshu Pani, Managing Director-Infrastructure Services, JLL India. “Unfortunately, the pollution levels are too high to be ignored,” he points out. “So the odd-even formula is a much-needed measure, but it’s a drastic measure,” he says.

That means all of us will have to face a little difficulty in the beginning. One can clearly visualise the scene on the day this scheme becomes a reality. It is going to really inconvenience the public. Our teeming population is so used to speeding off in individual cars that it will be a little difficult to curb their longing for private rides even if it is to safeguard their own good health.

Traffic in Gurgaon. Representational image. Image courtesy: Reuters

Commuters who use public transport already find the buses and metros overcrowded. So is our public transport system capable of catering to an extra lot? I think not.

Yet, we will try it out, and coax the commuting crowd with roses for defaulters, for who knows, against all odds, it just might work to bring down congestion, pollution and clear off the air just a wee bit, for records.

As for the authorities, it is going to be quite a task to regulate traffic on the basis of odd-even car numbers. The enforcing authorities should be prepared, for a situation could arise that instead of controlling fuel emissions and congestion, they perhaps would be controlling unseen emotional bursts and physical fights (I hope not), as everybody usually is in a perpetual hurry to reach their destinations. Thus, the situation could become a vulnerable ground for expressions of anger, and I just pray that no untoward incident is added to the list of road rage instances, which Delhi already has in plenty. It is as well that the state government will be deploying volunteers and transport officials to man the whole exercise.

This formula can work only if after meeting the initial resistance of the commuters, the department determinedly carries on its mission, come what may, till the designated fortnight period is over. When people fall into compliance and acceptance mode, this formula can be said to have worked. But the success will depend on how well the whole episode is enacted in practice (without creating traffic jams) by the officials and how the public responds to it.

However, three positives will result from this act. An immediate reduction in pollution level, use of public transport to the optimum and the adoption of car pooling will lead to greater tolerance and bonding among the travelling community.

Since vehicular pollution is a major cause of respiratory disorders, do we have a choice other than to cooperate with the formula the government has come up with? If the government officials were to ignore the alarming pollution statistics without taking any action, then too, we would have been blaming them.

Incidentally, this is just one small measure to take on pollution through vigilant enforcement and manpower involvement. Looking at the magnitude of the problem, a logical, multi-pronged approach therefore becomes of prime importance to tackle the challenge of air pollution. Along with vehicular pollution, being a major contributor to deterioration of air quality, other sources of pollution are sites where construction, landfills and road building activities are carried out, as pointed out by a report by IndiaSpend.

The odd-even formula is an immediate step to curb pollution, congestion and chaos, a bigger step in future is planned cities, smart cities and Transit Oriented Development (TOD). For, this is what the drive is all about- to make the public ride on public transport system to lessen vehicular pollution.

With the Urban Development ministry approving the Transit Oriented Development Policy for Delhi, an attempt is being made to deal with the issues of pollution and overcrowding, and also, to deal with the shortage of housing stock. One major role of TOD will be to with respect to offices. With TOD, the concentration of offices can shift to various suburbs. This can lead to the prospect of live-work in one location thus solving the need to drive for work, therefore, automatically curtailing vehicular jamming and pollution. These walkable communities can reduce driving by up to 85 per cent. And this move will reduce pressure from the prime centre.

All that is needed is for the government to speed up in providing more infrastructure, better roads, and greater connectivity. Right now, transportation is a big problem. It takes commuters one hour to go from Noida to Gurgaon. No one likes to travel beyond 30-40 minutes for work. The only way out is to improve connectivity by adding more trains, metros and buses.