Remove roadside vendors in twin capital cities: HC

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 26

Taking a serious note of the traffic mess in Srinagar and Jammu, the High Court has directed the divisional administrations in both the capital cities to remove roadside vendors and construct designated bus stops.

“Painfully, we put it on record that it is because of the apparent failure of the authorities to discharge their duties that the court has to intervene,” a division bench of Justices Ali Mohammad Magrey and BS Walia observed while passing orders in a PIL about traffic congestion today.

“Now, even the general roads are occupied by vendors almost everywhere in the city, hampering the traffic movement to the hilt. Ironically, no state authority, despite being conscious of the fact, has spoken a word about this menace which is a major roadblock in traffic regulation in the state, especially in Srinagar,” it observed.

The court also noted that undesignated stops of auto, sumo, mini-bus and bus drivers also cause hurdles in the traffic movement, adding unauthorised auto and sumo stands in the area, which was an “alarming and most disturbing” aspect contributing to the traffic mess.

In this regard, the High Court has directed the Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu, traffic police and municipal authorities in both the cities to “take all the necessary steps required for making the roads available for plying of vehicles only and remove the vendors from the roadside and footpaths.”

“In default, IGP Kashmir, Srinagar Municipal Corporation Commissioner, SDA vice chairman and Srinagar SSP (Traffic), shall, in the first instance, have to appear in person to explain the reasons of failure,” the court said while setting the deadline of May 1. It further asked them to construct designated bus stops and abolishing unregistered auto/sumo stands.