Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said strengthening of public transport would require at least two years. (PTI file photo)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today ruled out including two-wheelers in the odd-even scheme saying if this is done without improving the public transport system there would be "chaos" and "complete anarchy" on the city's street.
He also termed as "false" the perception "held by many" that two-wheelers were excluded keeping Aam Aadmi Party's votebank in mind.
He said strengthening of public transport would require at least two years.
"Two-wheelers were not excluded because they are vehicles of the poor. The reason is when we analysed data of odd-even phase one we saw that ridership in metro and bus had increased by 0.7 per cent and 5 per cent only. People who left their cars went for carpooling.
"Buses were even empty and Metro had crowd like usual times. If two-wheelers are included, around 40 lakh of which ply in Delhi every day, people will go for metros and buses and we don't have that much capacity. There will be chaos and complete anarchy on the roads," Mr Kejriwal told an event organsied by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in New Delhi.
"Till the time we don't bring buses, which will require at least one-and-a-half to two years even if done in war-footing, we cannot include two-wheelers. It's not about vote bank as people cutting across classes and religion voted for us and gave us 67 seats," he said.
The first phase of the anti-pollution measure odd-even, under which cars with licence plates bearing odd and even numbers ply on alternate days, was enforced between January 1 and 15. The second phase began on April 15 and continue till April 30.