HC seeks status report on Shimla traffic

Acting tough against traffic blues in Shimla, the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Thursday told the government and the civic body to file status report on the city's traffic every three months.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed the order on a petition filed by Dharam Pal Thakur of Shimla.

The High Court treated the matter as a public interest litigation.

The court directed the state to file a status report on the implementation of the Shimla Road Users and Pedestrians (Public Safety and Convenience) Act of 2007 and to furnish the list of permits granted by authorities for plying of vehicles on sealed/restricted roads in Shimla.

The court also sought an affidavit on whether CCTV have been fixed at entry points to the state capital and the mechanism put in place to check and deter movement of unauthorised vehicles on sealed/restricted roads.

The petitioner had accused the authorities of failing to diligently perform their duties, leading to chaos and haphazardness on Shimla roads, making day-to-day movement of residents and tourists difficult.

Shimla has several vehicle-free zones to facilitate unrestricted movement of pedestrians.

--IANS

vg/tsb/mr