Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 16: The High Court today directed Vice Chairman-Srinagar Development Authority to ensure that the old bus stand at Batamaloo is sealed as it has been shifted to new bus stand at Parimpora.
The Court also passed slew of directions to various authorities on ten point suggestions by Senior Superintendent of Police Traffic City Srinagar for traffic decongestion in Srinagar city.
Court directed Vice Chairman-Srinagar Development Authority to ensure that the old bus stand at Batamaloo is sealed as it has been shifted to new Bus Stand at Parimpora. Court directed Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and Inspector General of Police to provide all assistance to SDA for the said purpose.
The SSP Traffic in her ten points had suggested that the shifting of General Bus Stand Batamaloo to Parimpora and removal of shops dealing with the scrap and condemned vehicles outside the general bus stand who as per her report have occupied a huge space of the road for dumping the condemned vehicles.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey while considering these ten points observed that the erstwhile bus stand if is in operation is illegal as the same has been shifted and now the notified bus stand as per Government notification is at Parimpora, Srinagar.
DB also said that it is joint responsibility of SDA and SMC to ensure that Bus Stand shall be cleared from all condemned vehicles and all scrap lying inside and outside the stand.
Court also said that the old Bus Stand shall be utilized for other public purpose. Court also observed as the new bus terminal as notified under Motor Vehicles Act is at Parimpora and pointed out to VC-SDA to take possession of the old Bus Stand and seal it as of now it is illegal under law.
Court directed the traffic authorities for making operational vehicle mobilizers so that vehicles wrongly parked are avoided. SSP had suggested for vehicle mobilizers like wheel clamps be allowed to check wrong parking.
With regard to suggestion of segregation of Inter city and Intra city transport which the court today said is important issue in so far decreasing of traffic congestion court directed the Transport Commissioner who was present in the court to take steps in this connection and apprise the court on next date hearing.
Court with regard to dust on roads observed to Commissioner SMC that “you were directed to come up with action plan for keeping the city clean from all dirt, but you are not cooperating with each other as such action plan, court said, has not seen the light of day till date”.
Court in this connection directed Chairman PCB to take lead in the matter with SMC, R&B and SSP traffic to come up with action plan by or before next date.
Court with regard to noise pollution observed that all the silent zones are at the level of industrial zones and directed all the silent zones viz Schools, colleges, Hospital, Courts etc should be identified and adequate measures be taken in order to ensure that noise level in these place remain with the permissible level in silent zones and direction has been passed that all the stake holders along with DCs of all districts to meet in this regard and meeting the court said, shall be convened by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir.
Commissioner SMC while dealing with encroachments submitted that the same shall continue and court directed the concerned police to provide full assistance to him so that authority (SMC) shall take effective measures to tackle with encroachments by vendors.
Commissioner SMC also apprised the court that with regard to creating of parking zones is deliberated upon and some structures have to be removed. Court directed SSP traffic to provide the structures to SMC for removal of these structures. Court also emphasized that traffic lights be made functional on modern technology.
Petitioner counsel Ateeb Kanth submitted before the court that the steps so far taken by all the authorities are appreciated outside the city but public faces still a lot of hardships inside the city due to heavy traffic congestion. Court asked him to give your details and court will direct the authorities to address these issues.
It may be mentioned that SSP in her 10 points states that complete removal of road encroachments (be it vendors or on road display of goods by shopkeepers) by the SMC. She further states that creation of paid parking zones inside the CBD and on road parking to be made costlier than off road parking. Removal of structures that have created a bottleneck at the Qamarwari Chowk to relieve the traffic congestion and to realign the divider on the road for equal space on each side and commercialization of residential areas has also been discussed during court proceedings.
R&B as also JKERA were also supposed to file their reports to one of the suggestion each relating to these departments but no report so far has been filed by them and representing counsels of these departments have sought some more time to do the needful.
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