A move to regulate traffic in the city, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court, on Wednesday directed the civic body to install 86 traffic booths at the center of the squares in the city within next six months. The court has also lauded the good work of NMC and traffic police for controlling the traffic. The court observed that the traffic booths which are erected at the sidings are found to be useless to control and regulate the traffic. The High Court, while hearing suo-motu public interest litigation about worsening traffic woes, asked NMC to place the design with measurement of the traffic booths proposed to be installed.
In its affidavit, NMC informed the court that contract for construction and installation of 86 traffic booths at the center of the squares was awarded on September 12 and work was expected to be over in six months. Traffic experts have advised against erecting traffic booths in the middle of the road as it would lead to obstructing the vision of the drivers about traffic coming from the other side. But the High Court rejected this argument and stressed the need to have booths in the center while making it clear that it should not be a permanent concrete structure but a traffic booth with umbrella installed thereon.
A division bench consisting of Justice Ravi Deshpande and Justice Vinay Joshi also suggested constituting a dedicated task force to act against traffic violators and penalise them. Flying squads should also be formed to monitor and supervise personally the regulation of traffic at the signals by the constables. The High Court also remarked that “once people start getting challans, witnessing detention of vehicles, registration of offences against the persons creating obstructions in discharge of duties by the police personnel, the deterrence, and the traffic discipline shall automatically follow.”
The traffic police requested the construction of booths in all major squares for traffic police personnel posted to control the traffic as they had to brave the heat, rains and unbearable heat, rains and unbearable pollution all the time.
In the latest affidavit, the police informed the court that strict action was taken against traffic violators and in the month of December 42,761 people were fined for breach of rules. A number of accidents also reduced as compared to 2017. In 2017, 265 people lost their lives in road mishaps and the number came down to 252 in 2018.
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