Vehicular congestion outside Delhi HC comes under its scanner

The heavy traffic congestion every day outside the Delhi High Court has led it to order a joint inspection by the police and judicial officials to ascertain the problem at each entry and exit point of the complex.
The direction was given by a bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Yogesh Khanna after it was informed about the long traffic jams in front of the high court every day, especially in the morning, due to cars parked by lawyers and litigants.
The bench said it was passing the direction as an advocate had in January this year suffered a cardiac arrest in the high court but could not be rushed to the hospital in time and died before reaching there as the roads were clogged by parked vehicles.

"Deputy Commissioner of Police of the area and concerned Registrar to inspect the road and prepare a joint report with photographs indicating the problems faced at each entry-exit point of the high court," it said.
The counsel for the Delhi Police assured the bench that action was being taken as several traffic police personnel have been deployed to challan and tow away vehicles parked on the main road.
However, the judges were not satisfied by the claim as they said that whenever they go out on the road, they do see traffic snarls.

The bench also noted that the multi-level underground parking was not being used to its full capacity of 1600 cars.

It also said that the Delhi High Court stickers, allowing parking inside the parking facility and the court complex was being given by lawyers to everyone, including clients, which has to be regulated.
The court warned it will give a total of 1600 stickers only for distribution and let there be a "bloodbath" for it.
"We don't care. How else can we regulate the vehicular congestion," it said.
It also asked the Delhi High Court Bar Association to indicate steps that can be taken for curbing parking of cars on the road in and around the Delhi High Court.
The District Judges of the city courts were also asked to give a report on the traffic conditions there by the next date of hearing on May 26.

The Delhi government was asked to give a report with regard to the medical facilities, including personnel and vehicles, available in all courts in Delhi to rush people to hospitals in emergencies.
The issues of lack of medical facilities in courts in the city and the traffic congestion there had come up during an earlier hearing of a PIL for improving civic amenities in trial court complexes, including Tis Hazari, as well as making them disabled-friendly.