HC directs HP govt to form panel for examining vehicle permits

The Himachal High Court today directed the Chief Secretary to constitute a three member committee to examine all the permits/passes for plying vehicles on sealed/restricted roads in the state capital and cancel all those which have not been issued in accordance with the Shimla Road Users and Pedestrians (Public Safety and Convenience) Act, 2007.
The Court also directed the committee, comprising Principal Secretary (Home), Principal Secretary (Transport) and LR-cum-Principal Secretary (Law), to issue permits only to the eligible persons and renew only those permits which have been issued in terms of the provisions of the Act within four weeks.
A Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed these orders on a petition filed by Dharam Pal Thakur of Panthaghati (Shimla) treating it as a Public Interest Litigation.

The Court expressed its dissatisfaction over the compliance affidavits of the DC Shimla, Municipal Commissioner Shimla and the Managing Director of HRTC in the case and said that the affidavits did not contain details as to how many permits were examined and cancelled and who were the Officers who had issued the permits and whether the permit holders had obtained permits as per provisions of the Act.
The Court also expressed unhappiness with the HRTC Managing Director's affidavit stating that taxis were being managed by some private persons along with HRTC.
The Court said that it does not reveal how these private persons were plying the taxis and who are the Officers who granted such permission, whether the vehicles were and are being plied as per the terms of the directions of the High Court and whether they have taken any decision or made any scope/room for physically handicapped, senior citizens, children and other disabled persons.

The Court said that the Act contains detailed mechanism including how to issue permit/passes and to whom it is to be issued. But the Officers appear to have given a slip to the provisions of the Act.
The Court also directed the Secretary (Revenue) and an expert in the discipline/subject to be nominated as members of the committee preparing a comprehensive plan for traffic mobility and parking for Shimla with the Principal Secretary (Urban Development), Director (Transport), Municipal Commissioner and Director (Urban Development) and posted the matter for March 16.