Put up signages for auto stands: HC to civic bodies

Thursday, Nov 25, 2010




The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the civic agencies in Delhi to put up necessary signages identifying auto stands earmarked in the city. The direction came after the Delhi Traffic Police (DTP) said it has already earmarked 402 spots as designated auto stands. The court was hearing a PIL complaining that there was not a single legally authorised stand for the 55,000-odd autorickshaws registered in the Capital.

Counsel for Delhi Traffic Police, Jyoti Singh told a bench of chief justice Dipak Misra and justice Manmohan that the spots had been identified as 'halt and go' TSR stands after consultation with the area traffic officers.

She said a notification has been issued in this regard and published in newspapers.

However, when the bench directed the traffic police to install signages at these spots, Singh said it was the duty of the civic agencies. Following this, the bench directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, Cantonment Board, National Highway Authority of India and Public Works Department to put up the signages in their respective areas for public convenience.

In response to the request made by the petitioner for a detailed list of all spots, the transport department has posted the exhaustive list of 402 spots on its website.

Badges distributed: Meera Bhatia, counsel for the transport department told the court that 29,300 badges have been distributed to auto drivers till now. She said the aim is to prevent autorickshaw drivers from committing crime against passengers, a trend increasingly witnessed in the recent past.

"Possession of a badge and biometric connotes an element of certification. These will be issued only after verification of the character and antecedents of such drivers," she said.

Over 10,000 autorickshaws had gone off the city roads from November 14, 2010, with Delhi government cancelling their permits for failing to comply with the prescribed guidelines.

Auto owners had been asked to go for smart card-based permits as part of the government's efforts to maintain proper records of three-wheelers.

Original news source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Put-up-signages-for-auto-stands-HC-to-civic-bodies/Article1-630635.aspx