The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed to set up zonal sub-committees within three weeks to monitor traffic in Mumbai.
The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday directed to set up zonal sub-committees within three weeks to monitor traffic in Mumbai.
A division bench of chief justices Mohit Shah and DG Karnik was hearing PIL filed by the Bombay Bar Association seeking implementation of traffic rules and regulations. The judges have directed the joint commissioner of police (traffic) to set up sub-committees headed by the zonal deputy commissioner of the police. It will include assistant municipal commissioner, a member of Western Indian Automobile Association (WIAA), one or two residents of the area and such other members as considered appropriate.
The court’s directions came after government pleader DA Nalawade suggested that it would be better if zonal sub-committees are formed to monitor the situation at local level. The judges had questioned what happens in the centralised Traffic Advisory Committee meeting after interveners WIAA lawyer said there are traffic violations every single night. “No one stops at traffic signal. You run the risk of being hit in the rear. There is no effort by the traffic police to ensure road discipline,” he added.
Nalawade said that a proposal for the traffic reforms is pending with secretary (home) and he sought more time to make a statement based on consultations with various authorities and collecting data. BBA’s counsel Fredun Devitre said that lack of data is not a ground for holding up the issue. He added, “There is a need for a statement on whether an aerial survey of Mumbai’s traffic by a helicopter can be done.”
Nalawade also pleaded that lack of manpower was also an issue. To this justice Karnik said, “It is not lack of manpower. Even with the police being present, cars are parked on zebra crossing. Even zebra crossing entrance is blocked for months together and citizens cannot cross the road.”
At the last hearing, WIAA had suggested that Mumbai must use the Bangalore traffic management system with e-challan, e-payment, database integration of vehicles, CCTVs which capture violators and post challans to pay online.
An affidavit filed by Pandit Kale, assistant commissioner of police (planning division) stated, “Technology Driven Traffic Management System- Bangalore system cannot be presently adopted in Mumbai without data of motor driving licenses and registrations of vehicles in digitised form available online.” Kale said that traffic control branch has submitted proposal to the home department for modernisation and improvement of traffic management and has not yet received a reply. The matter is adjourned to June 23.
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