Kochi : The high court came down heavily on Kochi city traffic police for “sleeping at the wheel” amid reckless racing by private buses on city roads, orally asking whether being on time was a licence to kill people on the roads.
The bench adjourned the matter to Oct 16.
It said it could only issue orders, while their enforcement was the responsibility of the officers concerned. “Is this our smart city,” the Bench asked, noting that the roads were barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other, even as vehicles were parked on both sides. The court further said it intended to summon motor vehicles department officials to discuss various traffic-related issues that had resulted in loss of life on the roads.
The court further asked whether the police could act against rash and negligent driving only upon receiving complaints and whether they had a statutory duty to regulate such lawlessness. A bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran made the remarks while considering petitions concerning traffic and road conditions in Kochi. During the hearing, the court asked why private buses could not keep to the slow lane and avoid overtaking. It observed that reckless driving could not be justified on the ground that buses had to maintain their schedules. The bench also questioned whether the city’s traffic monitoring camera system was functioning. Every vehicle, including cars and buses, was a potential killing machine, and driving licences were made mandatory by law for that very reason, the court observed. If drivers had no fear of the enforcement system, they would have no fear of the law either, the bench remarked. It added that the court could not take over the duties of officials or micromanage them, and called on the authorities to act promptly and effectively to address traffic violations. the court lamented that the driving culture on its roads had become pathetic While describing Kochi as a smart city with modern facilities. It observed that despite certain road accidents being serious enough to warrant consideration of the offence of attempt to murder, cases were registered only for rash and negligent driving. This could lead to a situation in which anyone could do anything on the roads, the bench warned. The court also pointed out that private bus drivers often honked to intimidate other motorists while overtaking.
Higher-ranking traffic police officers in the city were also present before the court in compliance with an earlier directive issued in the wake of repeated incidents of reckless driving resulting in accidents.