Scheme gets thumbs down from motorists

MUMBAI: Motorists across the city felt that the traffic restraint scheme based on odd and even numbered licence plates for entry into South Mumbai was unworkable, given the poor state of public transport.
"How can I plan my day on a proposal as whimsical as this? How about things like medical emergencies, which you cannot foresee? Will we carry patients to the hospital in trains then?,'' asked Delilah Kulkarni, an HR professional, who drives down from Malad.
"In our fast-paced lives, business meetings are also dependent on a multitude of factors and not predictable. Taking all this into account, this proposal seems like a logistical nightmare and extremely inconvenient for commuters,'' she added.
T M N Singh, who works as an advisor and drives down from his Thane residence to his Nariman Point office every day, says he does not relish the prospect of travelling in a crowded train on alternate days."During the monsoons especially, it will become very difficult,'' he added.
"Since I stay and work in south Mumbai, will I be allowed to take my car out? Initially I used to travel by bus, but I haven't for almost 10 years now. As we grow older, it becomes more difficult to use public transport,'' said Neelam Kanal, an airline executive living in Colaba. "Another alternative is needed, otherwise people will just hop into a cab and the number of cars on the road will remain the same. If they can keep a check on the number of people who travel in a car, or encourage solutions like car pooling, I think that would be better.''
Satyendra Kumar, DGM, International Trade, ISPAT, who drives from Thane to Nariman Point, said, "If the proposal is implemented, I'll have to go in for car pooling or public transport, both of which are difficult. Pooling is difficult because the people in my office are not from my locality and trains are not easily accessible. It takes me about an hour to drive down in the mornings, but with public transport, it will take me double the time.''