By IANS,
New Delhi : On a plea for formulating a national policy for traffic management and air pollution checks, in keeping with the 2005 WHO guidelines, the Supreme Court Monday issued notice to the central government.
Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice Dipak Misra issued the notice on a public interest litigation (PIL) of Sanjay Kulshreshtra, who wanted the court to direct the government to formulate a policy so that personal four-wheeled vehicles on the roads are reduced in absolute terms by keeping a control on the sale of vehicles.
Kulshreshtra is a senior consultant pediatric surgeon working in Agra.
The PIL has sought direction for a strict Income Tax regulation mandating production of PAN card and income tax returns of the last year in the sale of personal four wheelers.
The petition sought that vehicles should be registered only in those cities that have been mentioned in the tax return and demanded withdrawal of tax benefits for second motorised four-wheeler to professionals.
The petitioner has also sought the formulation of policy and guidelines for the decongestion of roads mainly in order to curb the number of personal four-wheeler cars and other vehicles to control alarmingly increasing traffic hazards.
He said that traffic jams and traffic congestion was another alarming problem that could be directly linked to the vehicular explosion.
The petition said that safety and clean environment on the roads is a fundamental right of all citizens and an essential condition for safe and secure living and sustainable development of the society.
“In recent times”, the petition said, “especially during last two decades, thus is being observed that weaker sections on the road, like non-motorised vehicle owners and pedestrians, are losing their right to clean and safe roads as there is a tremendous rise among various road traffic related hazards in India.”
Kulshreshtra in his petition said that road accidents have become a major epidemic in the country, claiming 118,239 and 126,896 lives in 2008 and 2009 respectively.