High court wants Mumbai traffic disciplined

Mumbai: Indisciplined motorists wreaking havoc on innocent citizens have angered the Bombay high court. Hearing a PIL filed by top lawyers and Bombay Bar Association (BBA), acting chief justice JN Patel on Wednesday observed that senior citizens, the disabled, women and children are most affected by those who violate traffic rules.

The PIL filed by BBA seeks strict action against offenders, strict compliance, implementation and enforcement of traffic laws to ensure pedestrian safety.

A division bench of justice Patel and justice BR Gavai has now directed the state and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to file a reply within four weeks about implementing traffic rules and a plan for tackling traffic violators.

Justice Patel remarked, “The police said they would give challans to people crossing in a haphazard manner, but they don’t stop speeding cars that break signals.”

The court questioned the BMC and government on whether they had any plan to curb the menace.

“Because you don’t do your job, we have to monitor it,” Justice Patel remarked.

The PIL states that even the traffic police sometimes encourage flouting of signals (maybe to expedite flow of traffic) by urging vehicles to come forward, on zebra lines/ pedestrian crossings. Motorists then get into the habit of not respecting signals.”

Advocate Armin Wanderawala, a member of the BBA who was a victim of a traffic violation, intervened in the PIL on Wednesday. Wandrewala was nearly run over by a biker near Regal cinema last September after the rider jumped a signal.

Representing BBA, senior counsel Rafiq Dada argued, “There are free turns at several pedestrian crossings. This is very dangerous. There are senior citizens and children crossing roads. No one drives carefully at these turns, leading to accidents.”

The authorities, too, have come out in support of the PIL. The state and BMC supported the PIL, agreeing that something had to be done on an urgent basis.

Government pleader D A Nalavade informed the court that the state was not treating this as an adverse litigation. “Stringent steps need to be taken against violators,” Nalavade said.

BMC counsel K K Singhvi told the court that the corporation would support the cause. “If a zebra crossing is not there, we will get one made,” Singhvi said.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_high-court-wants-mumbai-traffic-disciplined_1346217