An odd-day for an even logic: Delhi's concerns may be misplaced

What happens to the community of drivers if their employers do not want to pay them for 15 days only

On January 1, 2016, when the whole world ended tumultuous 15 years and started on a new hopeful year, Delhiítes started experimenting with the odd-even car driving experience. Odd dates will be for cars with an odd digit at the end of their registration numbers and even dates will be for even digit ending, and importantly it will be only (emphasis added) for those number barring exceptions.

Among the lucky few, to have two cars with both even and odd registration numbers, certainly the rule is not for me to fear. And, being a woman if mine and husband’s appointments are at odds, I can beat the rule by taking a non-applicable number on a given day and he the prescribed one!

The above paragraph was sort of a disclaimer from someone who is not likely to face any problem altogether. But, even for us, the problem number one is if a car has to be given for servicing at a workshop (most of them do not finish the job same day), the delivery of serviced car can only be taken the third day! Now, for those who have one car, servicing will be even tougher and not to talk of workshops which will have to create extra space or deliver the same day or extend working hours to before eight in the morning and beyond eight in the evening.

These may be small sacrifices which each stakeholder in the chain of car ownership will have to make. As if cars are no less than a witch’s broom!

Problem number two, which has been discussed in living rooms of car owners but no one seems to have highlighted it—what happens to the community of drivers? At least, three people is my close circuit want to chuck out their drivers because they do not want to pay them for 15 days only. Car drivers may end up either unemployed or drive an Ola, Uber or join Kejriwal’s favourite community of autorickshaw drivers if they cannot buy their own taxis. Who takes care of their social security? His ex-employer, the state government or the newer ways of public transport?

Environment pollution and health issues arising out of it should be everyone’s concern. For colleagues, who think owning car is elitist and travelling in Uber and Ola is not, I may just say environment and green concerns in city like Delhi endowed with the best forest cover, the best roads, the best oversight machinery and the best judicial monitoring, the very concept of environment is elitist. If owning a car qualifies for being elitist for one such colleague of mine, who does not own a car but probably earns almost double of my salary if not more, I beg to say that for those travelling from farthest corners of the city and NCR at odd hours, travelling in car is an existential issue.

To the same section, who thinks that green concerns are important, and this not to say that I am not pro-environment, I ask how often do they criticise the government when the entire coal belt is full of ash content and impacts the health of residents? Why do they not stand up in support of tribals who oppose industry which pollutes their water and soil with arsenic? Why then they say that the green clearances and land acquisition should be faster and voice of the poor in back of the beyond should be bypassed? Why should trucks carrying goods for other states and cities not pass Delhi? And, why should we be bothered only about Former Commonwealth City Commonly Pampered by All?

Delhi is one of the best Indian cities in terms of living conditions. Step out to Ghaziabad or to Manesar industrial area just outside the National Capital. Go to Patna if not to parts of Dhanbad where coal mining has spoilt environment. Why doesn’t the Aam Aadmi speak then?