Kejriwal
KejriwalIANS

Vehicles carrying school students will be exempted from the second phase of the odd-even rule, which will start Friday, April 15, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reportedly announced Saturday. Women drivers also remained exempted from the car-rationing rule for the second time as well.

The Delhi chief minister and other ministers will have to abide by the rule that allows only odd-numbered private cars to ply on odd number dates and even-numbered vehicles on even number dates. The scheme will remain in place for 15 days, Indo-Asian News Service reported.

"Women drivers, CNG-operated vehicles, chief ministers of states and vehicles carrying students in uniform will remain exempted from the restrictions of the second phase of odd-even traffic scheme," Kejriwal said.

The Delhi government has also released a helpline number to assist public having queries about the scheme. "People can call on 011-422400400 if they have any questions related to odd-even traffic scheme," he said.

The Aam Aadmi Party had introduced the idea of rationing of private cars on odd and even dates last year and implemented it on a trial basis for 15 days in the first half of January this year. The aim was to reduce vehicular pollution in the national capital where the air quality had reportedly worsened last winter.

After the first phase of the scheme was implemented, the Delhi government cited a report by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority and said the car-rationing rule had a positive impact on the environment of Delhi.

In the second phase, Delhi Pollution Control Committee will monitor the impact of the scheme on Delhi's air quality at 119 locations.

Man hurls shoe at Kejriwal at press meet

A man opened his shoe and threw it at Kejriwal at the press conference organised for the announcement of the second phase odd-even scheme. The shoe did not hit the Delhi chief minister.

The man, Ved Prakash, was detained and taken to IP Estate Police Station, Asian News International reported. He was reportedly a member of the Aam Aadmi Sena, a group formed by AAP dissenters.

Prakash alleged that fake CNG stickers were being given out to vehicle-owners ahead of the implementation of the second phase of the scheme. He claimed to have a video of the "scam."

A similar allegation was made by one Bhavna Arora, who claimed to be a member of Aam Aadmi Sena. She threw ink at Kejriwal at a public meeting organised to celebrate the "success" of AAP's car-rationing experiment. "Odd-even was positive, but behind that was a big CNG Scam, of which I had a sting," she had said.

Commenting on Saturday's event, Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai said, "It's an act done by a frustrated man. Incidents like these keep on happening."

The shoe-throwing incident was criticised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too. "It is condemnable, somewhere a line needs to be drawn to stop such acts," ANI quoted BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli as saying.