HC reserves order on traffic plan

Expressing displeasure over state government’s apathetic approach towards the Traffic Restraint Scheme suggested to decongest city roads, the high court on Tuesday reserved order on the petition. HT Correspondent reports.

Expressing displeasure over state government’s apathetic approach towards the Traffic Restraint Scheme (TRS) suggested to decongest city roads, the high court on Tuesday reserved order on the petition.

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“Let the state experiment with it [the scheme] and then say no it is not practicable; but they are not even willing to experiment,” said the bench comprising Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice AR Joshi.

The TRS, first mooted by a committee headed by former transport commissioner VM Lal in 2001, recommended that private vehicles ending with certain numbers will be off the roads once a week during peak hours — 9 am to 7 pm.

Reiterating the state government’s stand that the TRS was unpracticable, Assistant Government Pleader S.K. Nair said it would not be possible for the traffic policemen to identify vehicles with specific registration numbers during rush hour.

Nair said the government was “actively considering” barring entry to 20-year-old vehicles during weekdays.

“These vehicles would be allowed to ply in the city only during weekends,” he added.

He argued that several developmental activities like the Monorail, Metro rail, Bandra-Worli Sealink, dedicated bus lanes on both Eastern and Western Express highways were undertaken after the TRS was recommended.

Justice Nazki said that meeting the demand will not solve traffic problem. “By the time you establish one flyover, demand would soar by manifolds,” he added.

But MP Rao, representing the Western India Automobile Association, asked the HC to not pass “any compelling order”.

He requested the court to let the TRS be voluntary and pointing out that nearly 40 per cent areas in business districts, such as Fort and Nariman Point, are residential areas.