Reduce usage of private vehicles: Delhi transport minister

NEW DELHI: Kailash Gahlot, Transport Minister of the Government of NCT of Delhi, urged the Delhiites to reduce their dependency on private vehicles in order to control pollutions levels in the city. He said this while speaking at a neighbourhood ‘Raahgiri Day’ on the theme of ‘Yuddh Pradushan ke Viruddh’, organised by the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD) on Sunday, November 28, in Delhi Najafgarh.

As part of the event, streets were opened for the public and were kept free of traffic between 07:30 AM and 10:30 AM. The event saw participation of thousands of people of Najafgarh and school children. According to an official statement, the participants engaged in various activities like walking, running, cycling, skating, street games, music bands, painting, dance, performing arts, yoga, aerobics and zumba, among others.

Gahlot, who is the MLA from Najafgarh, said that the aim of the event is to spread awareness amongst people that the need of the hour is to reduce usage of private vehicles and increase usage of such alternate modes of transport, along with public transport facilities.

He further said that the Delhi government is committed to making the city pedestrian-friendly, with the work being done at the Rajghat intersection posing an example. The event, which was organised by the Delhi government in association with the World Resources Institute India and the Raahgiri Foundation, was the first such event to be organised in outer Delhi.

Jasmine Shah, Vice Chairperson of the DDCD, said at the event that the people of Najafgarh will set an example for Delhi on how roads are not meant only for vehicles but also for the people to enjoy. She said that seeing the pollution levels in Delhi, it is essential that people realize the importance of adopting non-motorised modes of transport and mass transit facilities.

This was the second of six Raahgiri days being hosted across Delhi as part of the Chief Minister’s Yuddh Pradushan ke Viruddh campaign, which aims to being down vehicular pollution in Delhi.