Delhi's odd-even formula: this is how Google and Twitter will help

To ensure that people don't face problems while using public transport, Delhi government has decided to tie up with Google and Twitter to give real time information about buses during the implementation of odd-even scheme starting January 1.

Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai said the government has held a meeting with officials of Twitter and Google in the past and will soon have another meeting with them on the issue.

"Government is in talks with the officials of Google and Twitter to provide a real time information of public transport like routes of buses in a particular area.

"With this, people will easily get to know about bus information through the link to be available on Twitter and Google," Rai said in New Delhi.

For instance, a person gets off a metro train in unknown area, he or she can then search bus routes with the help of Google and Twitter, the minister said.

In order to ensure better bus service during odd-even formula, Delhi government will also ply 6,000 additional buses, including 2,000 school buses, during the 15-day trial period of this scheme.

Chief Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet minister have already announced that they will follow the odd-even formula being implemented to prevent pollution level in the National Capital.

Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain, who has been appointed the nodal minister on anti-pollution measures, recently said that depending on the success of odd-even scheme, the initiative may "go on till infinity". Buses would ply on a dedicated lane from January 1.

The decision to implement the odd-even formula could be taken by the ruling AAP government as it was ready to "take risks" unlike other governments, he had said.

With agency inputs