New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today
sought a detailed affidavit from the Delhi Chief Secretary,
who is heading the Special Task Force (STF) to monitor the
overall traffic situation in the city, about the pilot
projects for making lanes for non-motorised vehicles.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and
Justice Manmohan, in an order, said the Chief Secretary, who
is Chairperson of the STF, to file an affidavit within four
weeks.
The court said it wanted the affidavit to specify the
status about the pilot projects for Vikas Marg and Shyama
Prasad Mukherjee Marg.
The order came following a submission made by counsel
Prashant Bhushan, appearing for an NGO, that MCD, DDA and
Traffic Police have failed to comply with the directions
passed by a court's full bench on February 11, last year.
Bhushan submitted that the bench had said that MCD,
DDA and Delhi Police shall constitute an STF to explore all
questions pertaining to traffic with an objective to
minimising congestion, reducing pollution levels from motor
vehicles, and ensuring equitable access to all classes of
vehicles, including non-motorised transport such as bicycles
and cycle-rickshaws.
The lawyer also alleged that the public authorities
have also failed to make lanes for non-motorised vehicles. The
Traffic Police, he said, has been troubling the rickshaw
pullers despite a court order.
Earlier, the court had ruled that there could be no
curb on the number of licences issued to cycle-rickshaw
pullers as it would be against their right to earn livelihood
and also hamper the invaluable linkage provided by rickshaws.
Taking exception to the by-laws authorising the
police, MCD and other agencies to impound rickshaws, the bench
had asked the public bodies to do away with any authorisation
that was against the law.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 21:03