[Sandeep points to the dirty felt on the roof of the car’s interior]. The smoke is in the air everywhere. I drive home every day at 6pm. From here, it’s 40km. It depends on the traffic: at this time it will take two hours, in the evening it will be three and a half. I arrive home around eight pm. When there is a festival, it is so difficult to breathe. Because there’s too much smoke from vehicle pollution, and the crackers pollution. My eyes were ‘jealous’ [weeping]. This month I am having no cough. I am feeling the difference with a mask, but it is not practical to wear each day.
In India, a car is a status symbol. This is the main reason. If four people are going to the same place, they will not go in same car, in one car. They will go in four cars. More than 60 per cent of people today travel in buses; only 40 per cent take cabs. Capacity [on public transport] is limited. Crowding is happening, but people are finding it normal. They can stand for some time. In the next [few] years, more people will be taking metro and bus. The government is building new stations…
There is one way to keep Delhi unpolluted. It’s that all the car owners are ordered to keep a driver. Whoever are the car owners, it should be mandatory for them to have a driver. Then households will only have one car and half the cars will stay at home.