This story is from June 20, 2019

Traffic congestion: HC directs officials to be present on next date

On the issue of safety of school children and traffic congestion in Shimla town, Himachal Pradesh high court has directed commissioner of Shimla Municipal Corporation, director Town and Country Planning Department, deputy commissioner and SP and chief engineer of Public Works Department to remain present in the court on June 27.
Traffic congestion: HC directs officials to be present on next date
Representative image
SHIMLA: On the issue of safety of school children and traffic congestion in Shimla town, Himachal Pradesh high court has directed commissioner of Shimla Municipal Corporation, director Town and Country Planning Department, deputy commissioner and SP and chief engineer of Public Works Department to remain present in the court on June 27.
During the hearing held on Tuesday, division bench of acting chief justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary and justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua was informed that private schools had decided to construct their own parking lots to ensure safety of children.
Court was also informed about suggestions to remove traffic congestion.
After listening to the suggestions of private schools, court directed the above mentioned officials to remain present on next date of hearing.
Expressing concern over safety of school children and traffic congestion, court in its earlier order had observed that Shimla, predominantly, had been a pedestrian town and it was only a recent trend that children were travelling to school in vehicles, perhaps, more out of fashion than need.
“Also, parents, without endeavouring to share the vehicle on community basis, perhaps, taking it as a status symbol and with pride, take their children in their private vehicles to the schools. And all this, despite making the child sit in the vehicles for long hours, purely on account of heavy vehicular traffic, causing undue, avoidable and unnecessary anxiety,” the statement of the court added.
Court had felt that “perhaps, public, school authorities, parents and children need to be educated and sensitized of the advantages and benefits of health, if only the child is made to walk, wherever so permissible, to the school, rather than spend long hours in traffic jams”.
The court said that it was not uncommon to notice long queues and traffic jams on vehicular roads, during school hours.
“It is here that the onus also lies upon the civil society; management of educational institutions; district administration and the parents. Apparently, in this regard, nothing has been done so far. Perhaps, need to do so has arisen, more so, at this point of time,” the court observed.
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