
With little more than a week to go before Delhi’s ‘odd-even’ formula is rolled out, some car owners in the Capital are falling back on jugaad. You only need Rs 10 in your pocket to tide over the anti-pollution drive.

Delhi’s infamous ‘black market’ is ready to provide several solutions to turn odd plates into even and vice versa.

The new rule, which comes into play from January 1, restricts the use of even and odd number-plated cars on certain days of the week to fight rising pollution levels in the city.

A special India Today Television investigation found that almost all major motor markets in Delhi have been found devising ways to beat the system by fudging registration plates.

While a change in the size of numbers and figures on a number plate can attract prosecution under the Motor Vehicle Act, a fudged number plate means prosecution under several sections of the IPC, including fraud.

Those possessing fake number plates as well as those who have sold them are liable for punishment, a police official told Mail Today.

Car accessories markets, especially the number plate makers, expect to make a killing as they foresee massive demand for such fake plates even if the formula remains in effect for just 15 days, as has been declared by CM Arvind Kejriwal.

According to a senior Delhi police official, the Delhi government has already been apprised of these possibilities and they have promised to find a way out.

An official position on this would be released by the Delhi government later, he told Mail Today.

One such black market is at old Delhi’s Kashmiri Gate, the Capital’s biggest auto parts market. The investigative team stopped at a shop that declared ‘sticker-hi-sticker’ and the shopkeepers told the team that they could beat the even-odd formula for as less as Rs 10.

That was the cost of the sticker and it could easily be pasted and removed on the number plate as the day of the week demanded.

Rising demand

“A single sticker with just one number will cost Rs 10. Even or odd you can decide, I will sell you what you want. If you need a completely new number plate with a new registration number, it will cost anything between Rs 200 and Rs 350,” said the shopkeeper.

He also told the team demands were on the rise.

At the Shahdara motor market in east Delhi, the team got to know of yet another jugaad - a vinyl sheet with new numbers that would cover the entire plate - just paste the sheet, or remove it, and drive around on all days. The cost of this is Rs 150.

“I will make a vinyl sheet with the alternative number that you want. Just paste this on to the number plate, but only on the sides. Otherwise, you might damage the entire sheet. It is an extremely convenient jugaad,” said a shop owner.

Another shop in the same market was ready to provide a mini sticker that would alter the last digit. As per the law, it is essential to ask for the vehicles’ registration certificate (RC) before making a number plate, but neither at Kashmiri Gate nor at Shahadra was any RC asked for.

“You could get a new number plate with the last number changed. But you will have to remove the old one and put it up every time you want to use it. But please do not name us if you get busted,” said a Karol Bagh shopkeeper.