SC rejects plea on road safety, deems traffic regulation 'administrative matter'

A bench of justices S K Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia said the SC cannot open a transport department and monitor how traffic has to be regulated, while dismissing the plea.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday has refused to entertain a plea on the issue of road safety, asserting that it cannot monitor how traffic has to be regulated and cameras have to be installed as these are "administrative matters." The plea came up for hearing before a bench of Justices S K Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia.

The attorney representing the petitioner informed the court that the appeal concerns the matter of ensuring road safety. The plea alleged that the states were not adequately enforcing the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. In delivering the judgement, the bench said, "You want us to run the motor vehicle system?"

"You want to monitor on everybody's head? That is what you are saying? That is what you want the Supreme Court to do, to open a transport department here and monitor how traffic has to be regulated, how cameras have to be put," the bench observed, adding all these are "administrative matters".

The court bench stated that the petitioner is requesting to summon every state before the court. It said, "Look at this, we should call all states here, get everybody here and jamboree here. For what purpose?" After the bench said it was not inclined to entertain the petition, the counsel sought permission to withdraw the plea. "After some arguments, counsel for the petitioner seeks to withdraw the petition... Dismissed as withdrawn," the bench emphasized.

The justices said that most of the issues raised in the plea are " administrative matters" and the petitioner can approach the state high court for appropriate relief. (PTI)