For odd-even, Delhi govt wants staggered office timings, option to work from home

href="https://indian-express-develop.go-vip.net/about/arvind-kejriwal/" class="" rel="nofollow, noopener" target="_blank">Arvind Kejriwal met Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal to discuss measures to control air pollution, where the L-G suggested that office timings be staggered to reduce congestion and air pollution.

After the meeting, Baijal tweeted that he had requested the CM to explore the option of staggered opening/closing hours of offices and other establishments. Kejriwal, in a tweet, said the government will “definitely implement this”.

Under the proposal, one industry, or a particular set of offices, will open at 9 am or 9.30 am, for instance, while another set of offices will open at 10.30 am or 11 am. All employees will have to work for the minimum number of hours prescribed but everyone will not be on the road at the same time, trying to get to office.

Several companies offer employees the freedom to work from home and the Delhi government, officials said, will push for more firms, especially where there is no public interface, to look at the option while odd-even is enforced.

Staggered office timings have been experimented with across the world, primarily as a measure to reduce traffic congestion, thereby reducing pollution as well.

In Delhi as well, this is not the first time such a solution has been suggested. In 2016, the Central Pollution Control Board had asked governments in Delhi-NCR to consider staggering their office hours.

“The policy has been on our radar for quite some time but has not been implemented so far. We will engage with firms and businesses and ask them what is feasible. We want that as many employees as possible work from home because that is going to be of great help. We are looking at the feasibility of this in government offices, too. Again, this will have to be in areas where the interface with people is lower,” said a senior government official.

Officials said the idea is to have the measure coincide with odd-even during November 4-15 so that overcrowding in public transport during peak hours can be avoided.