8-year-old HC order to ban autos goes up in smoke

8-year-old HC order to ban autos goes up in smoke

City-based RTI activist alleges traffic police violate the interim order passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2009

Even though the Punjab and Haryana High Court had imposed a ban on issuing permits to diesel run three-wheelers within the city limits of Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar way back in July 2009, but the diesel operated auto rickshaws can be seen getting permits from nearby towns. Due to the large number of such three-wheelers the pollution level in the city is increasing every day.

In a complaint submitted to the Punjab Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary, Punjab, a city-based RTI activist and president of Council of RTI Activists Rohit Sabharwal has said that the city traffic police were violating the interim orders passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 23, 2009, in disposal of CWP (civil writ prtition) 13,490 of 2008.

The HC had ruled – “Pending further orders from this Court, the issue of permits to auto rickshaws and public transport buses (city buses) run on diesel within the municipal corporation limits of three cities mentioned above (Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar) shall remain stayed. This order would not prevent the State Transport Authorities in Punjab from assuming permit for auto rickshaws which run on the LPG or CNG. Auto rickshaws that can run on any other non-polluting fuel can also be permitted”.

The complaint said by imposing a ban on issuing permits to diesel-run auto rickshaws, the HC had implied that such vehicles could not be operated in the city limits of three major towns also. However, fact remains that the three-wheeler owners had adopted a new modus operandi to circumvent the HC directions.

“They get the permits issued from other nearby towns and later ply these diesel auto rickshaws within the limits of the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana. Thus, the spirit in which the orders of the Hon’ble High Court were passed is being caused set back.”

The complainant further said the ground reality was very well in the knowledge of the traffic police but no steps were being taken to effectively implement the HC directions.

“The challans and other punitive measured being taken by traffic police are an eyewash,” it added.

According to Sabharwal, the rough estimates put the number of diesel-run autos in the city at around 40,000 and ironically the number of three wheelers had nearly doubled during last eight years when the orders were issued by the HC imposing ban on issuing new permits to such auto rickshaws.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Rattan Singh Brar said the traffic cops had been given explicit instructions to issue challan of such auto- rickshaws that have obtained permits from other towns but were being run in the city limits.

What the Pujab and Haryana HC order says…

Pending further orders from this court, the issue of permits to auto rickshaws and public transport buses (city buses) run on diesel within the municipal corporation limit of three cities mentioned above (Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar) shall remain stayed. This order would not prevent the state transport authorities in Punjab from assuming permit for auto-rickshaws which run on the LPG or CNG. Auto-rickshaws that can run on any other non-polluting fuel can also be permitted.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ludhiana/8-year-old-hc-order-to-ban-autos-goes-up-in-smoke/421534.html