Won’t let BRT traffic system be the same,HC tells Govt

On Wednesday,Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri said the court will not allow Delhi government to go back to the original system of having dedicated lanes divided by barriers.

“We are making one thing very clear that we will not let you (Transport department) go back to square one. We will not let you have the traffic system at the BRT as it has always been,” Justice Sikri said. He had earlier ordered a comprehensive study of the BRT to ascertain its feasibility in the current traffic scenario.

He said the interim report of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI),carrying out the court-mandated study of the BRT,clearly pointed that the traffic situation improved when dedicated lanes were done away with and vehicles were allowed to move freely.

“The interim report points out that the situation was better during the trial run. We would always want it to be better than what it is,” he said.

The court passed these significant remarks as it heard an application by B B Sharan,representing petitioner NGO Nyayabhoomi,who sought a directive to the Delhi Transport department to let CRRI continue with the lane-free traffic on the BRT till the court passed final orders.

Justice Sikri disposed of this application while giving liberty to the CRRI to do what was required for a comprehensive study.

The court said the CRRI could also revert to its traffic plan during the trial run between May 12 and May 22 when the mixed-traffic flow was allowed in the corridor.

Minutes after the order was passed,Zubeda Begum,counsel for the Transport department,sought a clarification from the court,informing the bench that there was no question of the CRRI reverting the traffic to lane-free system since the study was over and the CRRI only required to submit a final report in the matter now.

At this,Justice Sikri told the counsel that if this submission meant reverting the BRT to the original lane system,they were not going to allow it. The court will now take up the matter on July 18,awaiting the final report from the CRRI.