Says traffic problem not of Chandigarh alone

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 22

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that the traffic problem is not of Chandigarh alone and it is obligatory on the part of both states of Punjab and Haryana to jointly apply brakes to battle the woes.

A Division Bench of the High Court also directed the chief secretaries of both states to depute the secretaries of the Urban Development, Surface and Transport, Environment and Finance departments to put their heads together with the UT authorities for finding a solution to the traffic problems and other issues.

“Considering the fact that the problem relating to traffic congestion in Chandigarh is directly connected with and relates to the surrounding areas of the states of Punjab and Haryana and both states, having their capital in Chandigarh, are duty bound and obliged to collectively resolve the same…,” the Bench added.

The Bench made it clear that the officers deputed by the chief secretaries would sit with the Adviser to the UT Administrator, who would chair the meeting. “The committee so constituted may meet at regular intervals to resolve the issue,” the Bench of Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and first puisne Justice Rajiv Sharma asserted.

The High Court had, some 17 years ago, also directed the holding of joint meetings. Justice Swatanter Kumar of the High Court had made it clear that the home secretaries and the finance secretaries of Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana were required to hold a meeting. “Action on minutes so concluded shall be taken immediately thereafter in regard to the expansion of the traffic police cadre. They shall also discuss various methods that should be adopted for rendering the services of the traffic police cadre more effectively,” Justice Kumar had added in his order issued in May 2002. Justice Kumar was, subsequently, elevated and retired as a Supreme Court Judge.

The case had its genesis in the traffic management and pollution control case. The court had made helmets compulsory for both men and women riders and those on the pillion. Persons wearing turbans had, however, been granted exemption. The use of black films had also been banned. Exemption was provided only for security reasons.

The High Court Bench, comprising Justice Sat Pal and Justice Kumar, had also directed the punching of licence for each traffic offence. The Administration was also told to demarcate parking areas in each sector for vehicles within a month.