HP HC orders NHAI to remove all bottlenecks

Shimla, Mar 26 The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the National Highway Authority of India to remove all bottlenecks and ensure vehicle safety standards on the NH-5.

In an order passed on March 21, the division bench of Justices Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Sushil Kukeraija directed NHAI to remove all the bottlenecks between Kaithlighat and Salogra (Solan) and Kumarhatti Bazaar.

The court has suo motu registered a PIL in 2017 on the traffic congestion caused by bottlenecks on the NH-5.

It further said that illegal parking was obstructing traffic flow on the service road and national highway land.

Vehicles operating on public roads with unauthorised lights, loud sound systems, and tinted windows, were posing safety hazards, the court observed.

The court directed deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Solan to remove all illegal

encroachments and unauthorised parking on the national highway and service road.

The director general of police (DGP) and director (Transport) of Himachal Pradesh are impleaded as

respondents in the case.

The DGP is directed to issue necessary instructions to prevent use of vehicles that violate established safety standards or have unauthorised modifications.

The director (Transport) is directed to ensure that fitness certificates are not granted to vehicles with

unauthorised modifications or those failing to meet safety standards.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for this case on April three.