Delhi HC rejects PIL seeking foot over bridge near zoo on Mathura road

Delhi HC rejects PIL seeking foot over bridge near zoo on Mathura road

New Delhi, The Delhi High Court has dismissed a PIL seeking either the construction of a foot over bridge or an underpass near the National Zoological Park on Mathura Road or placement of a 20-second traffic light at the Sher Shah Road intersection there.

Delhi HC rejects PIL seeking foot over bridge near zoo on Mathura road

A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela opined that issues of whether a stretch of road was to be kept traffic lights free or whether a foot over bridge was to be constructed were to be left to experts, i.e. the planners, and it was not inclined to entertain the plea.

The petitioner submitted that in the absence of a traffic light on Mathura road, pedestrians were inconvenienced as the foot over bridge on the stretch was at quite a distance near Sundar Nagar.

In the order passed on April 2, the bench said that an integrated plan was prepared by the Government of India, which was approved by its various departments as well as that of the Delhi government, to construct tunnels, underpasses and foot over bridges to make the stretch in question signal free.

Under the plan, initially, two foot overbridges were proposed at different locations one at Zoo Crossing and the other near gate no.6 of Bharat Mandapam but subsequently only a foot over bridge near the petrol pump at Zoo was approved by the authorities considering the need and feasibility of its construction, it added.

The court stated that rules and regulations did not permit the construction of a foot over bridge at the desired location due to a structure being maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India in its proximity.

"The planners on examination of the proposal for construction of two foot over bridges approved only one. Having regard to various aspects of planning and also the feasibility of the construction of foot over bridge, permission was accorded only for the construction of one foot over bridge.

"Similarly in case in the opinion of the planners a particular stretch of road is to be kept traffic light free, court’s interference in such a situation would be unwarranted," the court said.

The Public Works Department has taken other safety measures on roads like providing zebra crossing, studs and signages to avoid accidents while pedestrians cross the road, observed the court.

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