The Delhi High Court on Monday pulled up the different agencies involved in the transport management in the Capital over their shifting stand on creation of non-motorised vehicle lanes for plying of cycle-rickshaws on the arterial roads.
A Special Bench of Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and Justice S. Muralidhar also expressed its displeasure over the exclusion of dedicated lanes for non-motorised vehicles from the proposed plan for running of traffic in the Chandni Chowk area prepared by the Shahjahanabad Re-Development Corporation (SRDC).
The plan was submitted to the Court by the Public Works Department of the Delhi Government. The Bench also expressed its surprise over the Lieutenant-Governor’s speech in a recent meeting of the United Traffic & Transportation Infrastructure (PLG& ENGG) Centre (UTTIPEC) that no cycle-rickshaw would ply on the arterial roads and the Chief Minister’s go-ahead to the SRDC plan.
The Bench aired its displeasure when counsel for the petitioner in the matter referred to the 40{+t}{+h}meeting of the Centre where the Lieutenant-Governor had made the statement. The Lieutenant-Governor is the Chairman of the UTTIPEC and the Chief Minister is heading the SRDC.
The Bench later said that it would pass an appropriate order on the issue.
The Bench has been hearing a petition by non-government organisation Manushi Sangathan urging the Court to allow cycle-rickshaws to ply in the city as it is the livelihood of thousands of poor people.
The High Court had in 2011 issued a direction to frame a policy for registration and licensing of cycle-rickshaws after ascertaining their exact number and areas where they ply and the other relevant factors. The Court had in February this year directed the Delhi Government to launch five more pilot projects for plying of cycle-rickshaws in dedicated non-motorised vehicle lanes on the Capital’s roads. Earlier, in 2010 it asked the then Municipal Corporation of Delhi to launch pilot projects on the city’s three arterial roads — Syama Prasad Mookerjee Marg, Bhishma Pitamah Marg and Vikas Marg — for creation of dedicated lanes for cycle-rickshaws on an experimental basis which was to be extended on its success.
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