A day after giving thumbs-up to the odd-even scheme, Delhittes by and large complied with the rules by driving even-numbered cars which resulted in smooth traffic movement for the second day on Saturday.Though odd-numbered vehicles were spotted plying on the roads, they bore government- approved hologrammed CNG stickers.Day 1 of the plan saw an overwhelming response by people, and only 117 motorists were fined for flouting the rules. On Saturday, 229 vehicle drivers were fined, according to Delhi Police.Hundreds of thousands of even-numbered vehicles went off the roads in the capital on Friday as Delhiites embraced the novel odd-even vehicle restriction policy aimed at curbing alarming levels of pollution.The scheme allows cars with odd-numbered registration plates running on odd dates and even-numbered ones on even dates. There will be no curbs on Sunday.Though it was Saturday when most of the offices are closed, some motorists said traffic was less compared to other Saturdays.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia rode a bicycle from his residence on Mathura Road to the All India Radio office building on Parliament Street, and then to the Delhi Secretariat.Transport Minister Gopal Rai said all arrangements were in place to handle the situation on Monday when all offices open."I can't believe it. All I see is even-numbered cars. Though day one was a success because of the New Year celebrations, we will have to see how it works on Monday," said Ankit Sharma near Moolchand Metro station in south Delhi.After the first day of the scheme, the Delhi government said there was "marked" decrease in pollution levels, compared to January 1, 2015.The ambient air data collected by mobile dust samplers at 24 locations on January 1, 2016, showed that the PM 2.5 (particulate matter suspended in air with diameter less than 2.5 microns) levels ranged at all locations between 121-226, said a statement from the Delhi government.Delhi has nearly 90 lakh registered vehicles, with cars accounting for nearly a third. The growing vehicular population has contributed to making Delhi one of the world's most polluted cities.