Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed immediate remedial action after a court-appointed committee found that while bus stops along the city's Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor have been removed, the dedicated lanes remain unused by the general public at certain stretches.
A division bench comprising Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi, hearing a clutch of public interest petitions, expressed concern over the underutilisation of the BRTS infrastructure between Bholaram Ustad Marg Square and Holkar College. This stretch was rendered dysfunctional by flyovers constructed at Bhanwar Kuan and Holkar College.
Committee flags infrastructure woes The court was considering a report submitted by a committee headed by senior advocate Girish Patwardhan. The committee noted that despite the removal of bus stops, the corridor serves little purpose for ordinary commuters. During interactions with the City Administration Traffic Committee, the Additional DCP (Traffic) and Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) representatives, the panel was assured that coordinated efforts with the Indore Development Authority (IDA) would ensure the corridor's utilisation.
The committee also highlighted hazardous conditions at Vijay Nagar Square, where indiscriminate parking and dumping of seized vehicles in front of the police station have restricted the right of way. The Additional DCP (Traffic) assured the court that measures would be taken to clear the obstruction. At Satya Sai Square Bridge, constructed by the PWD, the committee identified dangerous potholes and directed immediate measures to ensure proper layering of the road surface.
Religious structures on radar In a significant directive, Collector Shivam Verma submitted that religious structures constructed on public roads and hampering traffic flow have been identified. The court directed that a comprehensive list of such structures be filed before the next hearing and warned that action would be taken in accordance with the law.
Traffic police crisis The court also addressed a critical manpower shortage. Committee chairman and senior advocate Vinay Zelawat pointed out that against 881 sanctioned posts for traffic police in Indore, only 660 personnel are currently deployed, leaving a deficit of 221 officers. The bench directed the state counsel to apprise the Principal Secretary, Home Department, and the Director General of Police of the shortage to fill the vacancies.
To ensure compliance with its earlier directions, the court has tasked a separate Traffic Committee, headed by Zelawat, with monitoring implementation. Additional DCP (Traffic) Tripathi, present in court, submitted that a dedicated cell exists to look after traffic-related complaints and assured the bench that grievances would be dealt with promptly.
