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| Delhi's Drastic Scheme To Clean Up |
| Delhi's Drastic Scheme To Clean Up Its Air Could Actually Be Working - Maybe
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| INDIA
, 12-January-2016
12:12:30 PM |
| The High Court in Delhi said Monday that it would not stop the city's alternate-day driving trial, giving a boost to the 15-day program that officials hope will curb some of the worst urban air pollution in the world.
The court had reviewed several public-interest petitions that had challenged the program, which, since Jan. 1, has limited drivers to odd or even days depending on their license plate number.
Officials have said the odd-even plan has brought down pollution levels during peak hours and removed more than 1 million cars a day from the capital's normally jammed roads.
New Delhi, which is home to 6 million people and 8 million vehicles, has the worst air of any major city in the world, according to a 2014 World Health Organization study.
The Delhi transport and rural development minister, Gopal Rai, praised the court's decision, saying it would help the children of the city - who are increasingly suffering respiratory ailments - to breathe freely.
Delhi residents have carpooled, crammed themselves into crowded buses and dusted off scooters they haven't used for years in an effort to do their civic duty - and avoid a $30 fine. About 6,000 citations have been issued so far.
During restricted travel times - 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., excluding Sundays - traffic flowed as freely as on a holiday, while buses and Metro trains were full at some points during rush hour. Commuters complained that the city's auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers were price-gouging.
"We have a terrible time commuting. It has become a nightmare," said Delhi resident Suraj Sharma, 24, who was trying to get to her job at a school. "Metro is not convenient on my route. And you have to wait for buses, and these days they have become so crowded. Auto-rickshaws overcharge, and now you can't even trust Uber, because most of the time they show surge prices."
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