SC issues notice to Centre on decongestion of roads

Expressing serious concern over growing traffic problem in the country,the Supreme Court today issued notice to the Centre on framing guidelines for decongestion of roads.

A bench headed by Justice Dalveer Bhandari,while terming it as “serious problem”,sought response from the Centre within two weeks on a PIL alleging that the traffic jam across the country particularly in metros create pollution leading to serious health problems.

Petitioner Sanjay Kulshrestra,a doctor,urged the court to intervene as it amounts to violation of rights of pedestrians to have safe and clean environment.

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“Guidelines be formulated for the decongestion of roads in order by curb number of personal vehicles,” he pleaded,adding that around 5.2 lakh people are dying because of air pollution.

“Urban air pollution is costing around five per cent of Gross Domestic Product and around 5,27,700 people are dying because of the pollution,” he submitted in his petition.

“Pedestrians are losing their rights to clean and safe roads as there has been huge increase in the number of traffic,” he said in his petition,adding that there were around 14.5 crore motorised vehicles on roads up to March 11 last year.

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