Southern States - Kerala   

HC notice to Govt. on traffic control

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI Aug. 12. A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court today issued notices to the State Government, Director General of Police (DGP), Transport Commissioner and others on a writ petition seeking a direction to the State Government and district administrations of Kochi and Kozhikode to strictly implement all measures, including speed limit, running time schedule and reduction in noise pollution.

The Bench comprising the Chief Justice, J. L. Gupta, and Justice A.K. Basheer issued notices to respondents when the writ petition filed by M.K. Prasad, former president of the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, and K. Sobheendran of Kozhikode came up before it.

According to the petitioners, the authorities concerned were negligent in enforcing the traffic regulations. They had approached the High Court because they were pained by a road accident that occurred here in July. Many of them, including students, were injured in the accident involving two buses.

The petitioners said that road accidents occurred because of the non-observance of traffic rules and regulations by private buses. Besides, over-speeding of vehicles had also contributed to the increase in accidents.

Buses which did not have break light or reflectors or signals were plying in the city. Besides, the unscientific fixation of time schedule for private buses was also one of the contributing factors. As for the noise pollution caused by vehicles, the petitioners pointed out that private buses were using air horn, the use of which had been banned under the Central and State motor vehicle rules and law.

The petitioners said that it was the district administration concerned and the police which should ensure that traffic rule violators were brought to book. The inaction on their part was the main reason for the increase in accidents.

Besides seeking a direction to the State Government to ensure that the speed governors were installed by all the buses, the petition sought a direction for constituting a committee of experts from different fields such as planning, traffic management to conduct a study and make suggestions for reducing road accidents and removing traffic congestion.

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