Not supposed to roam around on Highways: SC rejects plea on safety of pedestrians
PTC News Desk: Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea raising the issue of safety and protection of pedestrians on highways, saying that people are not supposed to roam around on highways.
The court was hearing a petition challenging an order issued by the Gujarat High Court on a petition concerning pedestrian safety and protection on highways.
The high court dismissed the petition, stating that no positive directions could be given because the reliefs sought in the petition would be a matter of policy decisions.
It had stated that the petitioners could approach the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways with their grievances raised in the plea.
On Monday, the case was heard before a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia.
The petitioners' counsel stated that the issue raised in the plea concerned the safety and protection of pedestrians on highways.
"How do pedestrians get on a highway?" asked the bench, adding that there has to be discipline.
According to statistics, there has been a significant increase in the number of road accidents involving pedestrians in the country.
According to the bench, such incidents will occur if pedestrians end up in places where they are not supposed to be.
"The concept of highways is that it is supposed to be segregated. People are not supposed to be roaming around on highways. That discipline is required," the bench said.
"Tomorrow, you will say that they should be permitted to walk or stroll on a highway and the cars should stop. How can that happen?" it added.
"This is a petition totally without logic. This should have been dismissed with cost," the bench observed.
- With inputs from agencies
