[sustran] HC notice to UT DC, MC for not reviving rickshaw stands

[Asija, Navdeep]

The Punjab and Haryana high court has issued show-cause notice to the
Chandigarh deputy commissioner (DC) and municipal commissioner as to why
contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them for not
demarcating and reviving rickshaw stands in the city despite repeated court
directions.

A special division bench comprising justice Surya Kant and justice Ajay
Tewari on Friday issued the notices when it came to know that the
Chandigarh authorities had failed to comply with the court orders and were
passing the buck on each other.

The court was hearing a case pertaining to the introduction of eco-friendly
cycle rickshaws and designating vehicle-free zones in Punjab, Haryana and
UT.

Earlier on November 2, 2012, the court had directed the chief architect of
Chandigarh to designate proper parking space for rickshaws in every sector.

The court had said it was interested in how to popularise non-polluting
vehicles and also proper parking for them which would reduce traffic chaos
and accidents on roads.

Whereas during the hearing of the case, the court was informed that chief
architect Sumit Kaur had written a letter to the DC seeking details of
demarcated rickshaw stands in the city but her letter had not received any
reply till date and thus rickshaw parking places all over the city had not
been specified.

Appearing for the Chandigarh administration, senior standing counsel Sanjay
Kaushal informed the court that the administration was mulling levying
congestion charges on vehicles in various parking in the city.

Kaushal further reiterated that parking problem cannot be solved in the
city and the ultimate option was to use the public transport system. He
also informed the court that very soon the administration would also put
its master plan on the website to invite objections from the city residents.

However, amicus curiae (friend of court) advocate Rita Kohli submitted that
the administration had failed to properly utilise its existing resources to
ensure proper parking space for vehicles, where thousands of vehicles could
be parked.

The case would now come up for hearing on May 3.