The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has expressed strong displeasure over frequent traffic jams at the Polytechnic intersection as well as the Shaheed Path-Ayodhya Road intersection.
The Court has issued a notice to the officers of the state government and other concerned departments for non-compliance of the order passed in this regard five years ago, holding them guilty of contempt prima facie.
A Single Bench of Justice Alok Mathur passed this order while hearing a Contempt Application filed by Sanjay Kumar Verma.
The Court has taken suo moto cognizance concerning the traffic situation in and around the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court, especially, with regard to traffic congestion at polytechnic crossing on the Faizabad Road as well as intersection of Faizabad Road and Shaheed Path in front of the High Court. Various State agencies had filed affidavits on behalf of the opposite parties addressing the concern shown by the High Court.
The Court noted that,
Affidavit filed by Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation Limited through Managing Director indicates that a Traffic Superintendent has been posted in order to check any unauthorized parking by vehicles particularly at the Polytechnic circle at Faizabad Road, Lucknow and written instructions had also been issued to that effect. The affidavit filed by Nagar Nigam, Lucknow disclosed that steps have been taken for removing any encroachment and to ensure that the roads are cleared off for free flow of traffic.
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Similarly, Lucknow Development Authority had also filed an affidavit stating that steps have been taken in order to ensure that vehicles are parked at parking places and drive undertaken for removal of encroachment. The affidavit on behalf of Principal Secretary, Home Department by Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works Department, Government of U.P. indicates that consultations have been made with Central Road Research, New Delhi to ensure that the over-bridge near the Government Polytechnic, Lucknow is maintained and the traffic measures are undertaken so as to ensure that the traffic congestion is avoided.
The Division Bench had also taken note of the personal affidavit filed by Arvind Kumar, Principal Secretary, Home Department, U.P indicating that police personnel have been deputed but on account of their shortage the control of traffic is being dealt with the staff available and additional and additional Home Guards have also been deployed for the said purpose.
The Court observed that it was not satisfied and not much substantial progress has been made in the matter as there does not appear to be complete coordination between the various departments of the State Government in order to rectify the deficiencies that continue to add to the existing traffic problem in the city of Lucknow.
It is submitted on behalf of the applicant that the situation has gone from bad to worse and the traffic at the Polytechnic Crossing and the traffic congestion has increased by leaps and bounds and neither is there adequate police personnel deployed to control the traffic resulting in traffic jam which take long time for the Advocates/general public to cross the said crossing and reach High Court. Similar is the situation at the crossing where the Shaheed Path meets near the High Court building.
It has been alleged that the directions of this Court have been defied and despite direction of the writ Court not much has been done and the situation has even gone worse.
It is further submitted that during the night the traffic jam runs a few kilometers at the Shaheed Path restraining free inflow of traffic on the said road.
It is also submitted that in case adequate steps are not taken immediately looking into the regular addition of vehicles in the city and haphazard manner of parking of commercial vehicles like tempos, buses and rickshaws the arterial roads remain blocked leading to frequent traffic jams.
“It is thus noticed that prima facie the directions of the writ Court for alleviating traffic problems have not been complied by any of the respondent-authorities and, hence, a prima facie case of contempt is made out”, the Court observed.
The Court issued the notice to the respondents.
“Let response be filed by all the opposite parties by the next date of listing with regard to compliance of the directions issued by the writ Court vide its order dated 5.7.2017 passed in PIL Civil Case No 12106 of 2017 as well as further directions issued subsequently.
List this case on 13.5.2022 on which date an affidavit of compliance shall be filed by the opposite parties to indicate as to what measures have been taken by them for compliance of the order of the writ Court. Affidavit of compliance to be filed by respondent No1(Rajendra Pratap Singh, M.D.U.P. Road Transport Corporation) shall also indicate as to how passengers are being allowed to board and deboard from public transport buses run by U.P.S.R.T.C at the crossings despite clear direction of the Court and what measures have been taken by them in this regard ?”
-the order reads.