Install signage or shell out Rs50,000 as fine, High Court tells NHAI

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 9

Virtually castigating the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for its failure to put up signage on the Zirakpur-Parwanoo stretch “despite repeated orders”, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has set a week’s deadline for it to act.

“It is made clear to the NHAI that in case the signage is not put up within a week, the officer concerned shall be punished appropriately by imposing a fine of Rs 50,000,” Justice Rajive Bhalla of the High Court has asserted.

Taking up the traffic regulation and road safety case, Justice Bhalla asserted that as a consequence of the inability of the NHAI to put up the signage, people were “not aware of the entries and exits leading to absolute chaos, particularly in the evening”. Justice Bhalla added that “even the lighting is defective”.

Driving at road safety, Justice Bhalla had, in November last year, directed the NHAI to examine the stretch between Zirakpur and Kalka before installing signboards. Justice Bhalla had also taken note of an affidavit stating that the four-laning of the Zirakpur-Rajpura-Patiala road would be completed within 18 months; and directed the PWD (B&R) to ensure the installation of proper signage and the creation of adequate slip roads during the laying of the highway for preventing inconvenience to the travellers.

The HC has already directed the Mohali police to take immediate action against vehicles parked along the stretch of the national highway passing through Zirakpur to ensure free flow of traffic under the flyover.

Justice Bhalla, on a previous date of hearing, had also asked the in-charge of the Zirakpur traffic wing to ensure that vehicles were not parked in the service lanes constructed within the Right of Way (ROW) or on land of the national highway.

Justice Bhalla had also directed the MC to install more CCTV cameras under the flyover at the turnings towards Patiala and Baltana to watch and regulate the traffic.

The court also asked the municipal authorities to carry out a survey first. The MC counsel informed the court that efforts were being made to demarcate an area, public or private, where street vendors would be encouraged to vend their wares, at a location to be identified by the civic body

Justice Bhalla had also rapped Punjab, the Zirakpur Municipal Council, Greater Mohali Area Development Authority and the NHAI for unplanned urban development in the area.

Justice Bhalla had also asserted categorically that that the authorities were apparently indifferent to the plight of the travelling public. Blaming them for squabbling among themselves on inconsequential questions such as jurisdiction, Justice Bhalla had also called for holding a joint meeting for resolving daily traffic issues. Justice Bhalla added that the parties concerned were also dodging liability for muddle beneath the Zirakpur flyover.