Odd-even successful despite attempts to defame it: Kejriwal

New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the second phase of the odd-even traffic scheme was successful despite repeated attempts by the opposition parties to defame it.

Not naming any party, Kejriwal said: "They tried their best to sabotage the odd-even before it came into effect."

"First, they tried to convince some auto-wallahs (drivers) to go on strike and then one of their leaders announced publicly that he would violate the odd-even scheme, and asked the people of Delhi to join him. But I feel proud to say that not a single Delhiite turned up, not even his party men."

He said that when these tricks did not work, the opposition parties tried to set fire to garbage at several locations in Delhi.

Speaking at the 'thanksgiving ceremony' organised by the Delhi government on the success of the second phase of odd-even, Kejriwal said the opposition was jealous because of the success of the odd-even phase one.

In an indirect reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said: "His two years of foreign trips have not been as popular as odd-even internationally."

"The whole world is looking up to Delhi because odd-even has been very successful. Articles were written about the success of odd-even in international magazines."

Delhi's Transport Minister Gopal Rai, who was also present, said "fabricated" surveys were released to sabotage the scheme.

"Companies who have never done any research on Delhi came out with fabricated surveys which said that odd-even has failed. Even in the survey conducted by the party which opposed odd-even, around 45 percent of the people were in favour of the scheme. That in itself is a big success," he said.

Rai said civil defence volunteers were the face of odd-even.

"We were skeptical about the second phase of odd-even due to heat conditions in Delhi. But it was only because of the efforts of civil defence volunteers who braved the sun to make Delhi's air clean. They are the reason behind the historic success of odd-even and the entire city is thankful to them," he said.

Rai, however did not announce any plans about the next phase of the odd-even traffic scheme.

"We will study the winter and summer model of odd-even. The reports will be with us by May 9. We will take decision on the next phase only after studying both the models", he added.

The second phase of the scheme started on April 15 and ended on April 30.