Two wheelers to be exempt from odd-even formula

Two wheelers will be exempt from the odd-even formula the Delhi government wants to implement in the first half of January to curb air pollution, an official said on Wednesday.

"Two wheeler riders will be exempt from the scheme because their number is huge and the public transport is not that great," the official told IANS.

Women who drive cars may also be exempt, the official added.

There are over 50 lakh two wheelers in the capital, constituting the bulk of its nearly 90 lakh vehicles. The city's increasing toxic air levels have prompted the judiciary to seek drastic action.

Delhi's AAP government has decided to allow vehicles on the roads on an odd-even basis: those with odd registration numbers will ply on odd dates and those with even numbers will ply on even dates.

The odd-even formula would not apply to CNG-driven public transport and emergency vehicles like ambulances.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the government to take into consideration the concerns of physically challenged commuters while formulating the odd-even scheme.