Fresh pleas filed in Delhi High Court against odd-even scheme

A view of traffic jam at ITO in New Delhi

New Delhi: Fresh petitions were filed on Tuesday in the Delhi High Court challenging the Aam Aadmi Party government's decision to only allow even and odd numbered vehicles to ply in Delhi on alternative dates from January 1 for 15 days.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath would hear other bunch of public interest litigations on Wednesday.

The fresh PIL filed by the president of Delhi High Court Bar Association, Rajiv Khosla, sought quashing of the December 28 administration notification on the issue.

"It is submitted that the said scheme has been brought out and been made applicable to public without carrying out any feasibility study and is hampering the legal fraternity in carrying out their professional responsibility of practising as an advocate in different courts and tribunal in Delhi," Khosla said in his PIL.

Another plea filed by B. Badrinath said the Delhi government`s scheme violates his fundamental rights - equality, freedom of movement and right to practise any profession or occupation, guaranteed under the Constitution.

The court had earlier refused to put on hold the odd-even scheme for plying four-wheelers on the national capital roads but asked the state government to take into consideration the issues of physically challenged commuters while formulating the scheme.

To curb the alarming air pollution, the Delhi government as a temporary measure came out with odd-even scheme for vehicles. Private vehicles with odd- and even-numbered licence plates were effective from January 1 allowed to ply on alternate dates.

The restrictions apply Monday to Saturday daily between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and none on Sunday. The Delhi government, however, exempted any car carrying a patient or being driven by single women, CNG-certified vehicles, VIPs, two-wheelers, ambulances, defence vehicles and embassy vehicles from the new regulation.