Gauhati High Court asks top officials to appear physically

Role of traffic police on duty is glaringly below par, leading to further deterioration of the situation

Traffic snarls in Guwahati

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has asked the officers of the departments concerned, like Home, Transport, Guwahati Smart City Ltd., etc., to remain physically present in court on November 9, 2023, for not finding a tangible solution to the traffic congestion in Guwahati and improving its public transport system.

A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Kardak Ete made it clear that the Court is not at all happy with the departments concerned with the state government that have not yet taken anything concrete to ease traffic congestion in Guwahati.

In the hearing of a PIL filed in 2016, the court oftentimes suggested the authorities concerned with the state government conduct a scientific study to find out the root cause of traffic snarls and solve the problem in a scientific way. During each of such suggestions, the departments concerned did assure the court that they would take or were taking such measures.

Of late, the petitioner moved the high court and let it know that the departments concerned with the state government have not taken or done anything to solve the problem of traffic congestion in Guwahati and smooth the transportation system.

This statement from the petitioner prompted the bench to ask the top officers of the departments concerned to physically appear before it on November 9, 2023.

The state government is taking up measures like the construction of flyovers to ease traffic congestion in the state capital. However, such measures do ease traffic congestion at some places and create such congestion elsewhere nearby. The flyover erected at Dispur Supermarket has eased the traffic congestion at the supermarket point, but it has also created traffic congestion at Rukminigaon Point, which did not experience any traffic congestion earlier. The departments concerned bother the least to find a scientific solution to the traffic congestion at Ganeshguri Point below the flyover. The situation is no different below the flyover at Sixth Mile, either.

The departments concerned have not taken any initiative to construct any alternative roads in Guwahati for a smooth transportation system in the city. The worst is the traffic management system. The role of traffic police on duty is glaringly below par, leading to further deterioration of the situation.

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