The Sikkim government on Monday rolled out the implementation of the odd-even vehicle restriction norm across the state to save fuel, and strengthened public transport to minimise inconvenience to commuters, an official said.

The implementation came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to people to reduce fuel consumption and spend more wisely in view of the West Asia crisis.

According to a notification issued by the state transport department, the new arrangement would come into effect from May 18.

As part of the initiative, City Runner bus services in Gangtok will operate at an interval of 30 minutes from 7 am to 8 pm on the Ranipool-secretariat-Ranipool route to facilitate commuters affected by the odd-even vehicle restriction, the official said.

All public transport services will remain operational on Saturdays and Sundays to ensure uninterrupted mobility for the public, he said.

In addition, all Sikkim Nationalised Transport (SNT) buses, currently operating on assigned routes across the six districts, will continue their services without interruption.

The notification clarified that taxis will remain operational for both local and inter-district transportation as per routes specified in permits.

The total number of registered taxis in the state stands at 15,548 and maxi cabs at 6,474.

The department stated that the measures are aimed at minimising inconvenience to commuters and maintaining efficient public transport services during the enforcement of the odd-even regulation system.