5 days ago
Continue drive against rash driving till a solution is found, HC tells Kochi police
Kochi: High court on Thursday asked the Kochi city police to continue its drives to curb the menace of
rash driving
by heavy vehicles on a daily basis until a solution is found to end it.
"No doubt, various reasons are attributed to this deleterious tendency on the roads, but none of them would be of any avail if someone loses their life, as seen in the case of a young boy who was crushed under a bus near Town Hall, Kochi," the court said.
"Losing a life on account of a bad road or reckless driving is the most unfortunate event that can happen, particularly to the family, and ought not to be simply relegated to statistics thereafter," the bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran emphasised. HC was considering a batch of petitions seeking judicial intervention in view of the deplorable condition of roads across Kochi.
The high-ranking police officers present in court provided information about certain proposals to avoid 'serpentine queues' and long traffic jams by modulating traffic and modifying road conditions.
Specific references were made to Vyttila Junction, Chathiath Road-Goshree Bridge junction, Edappally Church area and Palarivattom Junction on the highway. HC observed that some urgency would be apposite with the Onam season approaching.
It also cited a recent accident in Thrissur that claimed the life of a young man in front of his mother's eyes.
'Bad road is a killer'
Previously, HC had directed local body and PWD engineers to conduct an audit of the safety and quality of roads under their control.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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On Thursday, senior govt pleader K V Manoj Kumar sought a month's time to file the audit report.
Allowing the request, HC stated that the right to a motorable road, without any doubt, is now a constitutional right because the right to travel falls within the ambit of a fundamental right. A bad road, HC noted, is not only a hindrance to travel but can also be a killer, as seen in various past instances. Prima facie, the engineers have the responsibility to survey and maintain surveillance to ensure that no life is lost and no injury is caused on account of potholes or other dangerous conditions on the roads, the court reminded.
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