JKHC lambasts officials for ignoring ban on old vehicles

Srinagar, Jan 11 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has come down heavily on Traffic authorities for non-compliance of its orders regarding the blanket ban on 25-year-old vehicles in the state.

A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Bashir Ahmed Khan and Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir, said the Transport Commissioner and his Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) along with traffic officials were groping in the dark while enforcing the ban on 25-year-old commercial vehicles.

The court said several directions had been passed asking the authorities to take steps, including cancellation of registration permits, publishing of the list and conducting raids, for enforcing the ban on their use in the state.

''But none of the functionaries had reported any satisfactory compliance in this regard,'' the Bench noted.

The court further directed the authorities concerned to implement its orders in letter and spirit and submit their respective reports.

On uniforms to bus drivers and conductors, the bench directed the Transport Commissioner to come out with a plan of action and submit the same to the court.

The court said the expert committee set up by the government for determining the age of commercial vehicles has one month to finalise the directions and submit them.

It said there was some delay in issuing a notification for use of sirens and red lights by various authorities in accordance with the prescribed protocol.

The court asked the Transport Commissioner to immediately issue the notification which could enable the enforcing agency to prevent the misuse of these sirens and red lights.

UNI