Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court has pulled up the state government, traffic police, Regional Transport Office (RTO), and other authorities for their failure to address several traffic-related issues, including illegal parking of luxury buses, vehicles operating without permits, and the use of CNG kits in school vans across Ahmedabad.

After the state government submitted an affidavit outlining the steps taken to address these issues, including the number of cases registered and fines collected, Justice Sandeep N Bhatt expressed dissatisfaction with their response.

The petitioner had drawn the court’s attention to the illegal parking of luxury buses on public roads and footpaths. Justice Bhatt granted the authorities another month to take effective action.

Earlier, the HC had directed the Home Secretary, Transport Commissioner, DGP, RTO, and other responsible officers to submit a detailed affidavit explaining the steps taken to improve the traffic system.

In response, the government stated that a State Complaint Redressal Cell with a toll-free number (18002331122) and an email address (trafficgrievance@gujarat.gov.in) had been set up to address public grievances related to traffic and illegal parking.

The authorities have also been directed to implement an e-detection project to collect data from toll plazas on national and state highways, ensuring that vehicles passing through have valid fitness certificates and pollution control certificates. Any violations will result in automatic e-challans.

Additionally, a centralised monitoring project is in the pipeline to identify vehicles violating traffic rules through a mobile app.

The court has also directed all RTOs and ARTOs (Additional Regional Transport Offices) to strictly enforce motor vehicle laws and conduct regular drives.

The petitioner in turn argued that the government’s claims were not reflective of the ground reality, pointing out that illegal parking of luxury buses persisted despite the court’s orders.

The petitioner also raised concerns about the practice of traffic police collecting fines in cash and the lack of proper identification for personnel collecting fines.

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Gujarat Police launches helpline number to address traffic-related issues